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CHEHUGHT DEFOSJJR 






MY SPIRIT MOTHER AS SHE APPEARS 
TO ME 



True 
Spirit Return 



George McGehean 
Lois McGehean 






Spiritualistic Publishing Co. 

Cincinnati, Ohio 






Copyright, 1922 

89 

GEORGE and LOIS McGEHEAN 

Cincinnati. O. 



DEC 26 72 

©CU692555 
tvt J 



<v 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

Spiritualism 6 

Heaven 15 

The Power of the avenging Spirit 29 

Future Punishment and Warning by One 

of Heaven's Guardian Angels 36 

Suicides 41 

Power of Satan and His Evil Spirits. . . 48 
The Power of God and His Spiritual 

Forces 69 

Noah as an Illustration of Love and 
Wrath Combined of an All Powerful 

God 81 

King Solomom as Revealing the Wonder- 
ful Power of Prayer to an Almighty 

God 87 

Moses as an Illustration of Promises 
Fulfilled and Protective Love of an 

Omnipotent God 98 

Job's Great Patience and Illustration 
of the Almighty Power of God over 

the Limited Power of Satan 133 

The Revelation of a Wondrous and 
Powerful Love is Portrayed to the 
World by the Gift of the Son Jesus 

Christ from an Omnipotent God 152 

Skeptics 225 



TRUE SPIRIT RETURN 



Cincinnati, Ohio, 
November 8, 1922. 
To the World: 

It is ivith pleasure that I am permitted 
the privilege of expressing my thoughts 
to the world through my son and daughter, 
George and Lois McGehean, and it is with 
heartfelt gratitude to our heavenly Father 
that he has granted me permission to 
linger here on this earth, thus giving me 
an opportunity to ivork ivith them and, 
through their aid, spread forth many glad 
messages and joyous truths from the land 
of your spirit friends and loved ones. 

It affords me much delight to correct 
the many erroneous ideas that seem to 
have been formed by some concerning the 
doctrines of Spiritualism and spirit re- 
turn. It has long been my desire to carry 
on the work from tvhich I found so much 
enjoyment while divelling in this world as 
a mortal; namely, writing stories, poems 
and essays. 

It has been twenty-five years since I 



2 True Spirit Return 

bade farewell to this earthly sphere and 
crossed the cold river of death to enter 
into the land of eternal happiness, and 
not for all the gold and silver, nor pre- 
cious stones, nor all of the wealth that the 
world contains, neither kingdoms nor 
palaces, would I return in the flesh to 
your sin-cursed planet with its weight of 
sorrows untold — and I can speak for my 
spirit friends, your spirit friends and 
loved ones as well, for I know that they 
feel as I do. 

So grieve not for those that have lifted 
the veil and passed into the great beyond. 
Rather rejoice that they are freed from 
the shackles of pain and woe the earthly 
mortals are compelled to bear. 

Shed no bitter tears nor think of us as 
in the grave — His but the empty shell, our 
souls are ivith God in heaven. 

If there is one little word of comfort or 
one ray of sunshine that I can send into 
some darkened heart-broken soul, let me 
not forget to say it, or to pass a sunbeam 
into a clouded life. 

If I can but feel through this small 
volume I have brought consolation and 
understanding to some lonely heart, I ivill 



True Spirit Return 3 

reckon that my work has not been in 
vain, but it is my fondest hope that I 
can send cheer and gladness into the lives 
of many. 

So go forth, little book, on your mission 
of golden truths and spread all around 
you the light of Spiritualism. 

Enter the homes of thousands and carry 
with you the symbols of love, hope, faith 
and charity. 

Shed the light of peace and hope far 
into the corners of the globe. 

Fly to the north, 
And fly to the south, 
Fly to the east, 
Fly to the west, 
And fly to the world, 
That loves you best. 

I can well remember years ago when on 
this earth, while a missionary in China, 
my attempts to lead the darkened souls of 
the heathen land into the light of Chris- 
tianity. 

Sometimes it was very hard and seemed 
a hopeless task to convince them of the 
wonderful and beautiful truths of salva- 
tion. 



4 True Spirit Return 

Their hearts were filled with a love for 
idols, and reverence for the religion of 
their ancestors, and prejudice and doubt 
would rise up like a stone ivall against 
this new faith that told of one God, Jesus 
Christ His Son the Redeemer of mankind, 
and the Holy Ghost. 

Then they must be taught to look to a 
strange book for guidance, namely, the 
Scriptures, but their unwillingness to ac- 
cept the truth was gradually and finally 
overcome through patience and prayer. 

Just so, at times, it seems that the 
grand and glorious doctrines of Spiritual- 
ism have trouble in finding its way into 
the hearts and souls of the people. 

So I fain tvould pray, as in years gone 
past, that our heavenly Father enable me 
to guide, through the pages of this little 
book, the ivorld into the path that leads to 
the bright and golden star of Spiritualism. 

And if there is aught concerning this 
subject that any earthly mortal does not 
understand I would be glad to enlighten 
him, for, as a spirit from heaven above, I 
feel that I am in a position to knotv 
whereof I speak. 

You will find the mystery of calling up 



True Spirit Return 5 

your loved ones from the Spirit realm 
that has been revealed in this small 
volume a very simple one; but you must 
have faith and confidence in their power 
to return, and they will give rich blessings 
of hope, joy, peace and love. 

With love and best wishes to the world, 

MOTHER. 



True Spirit Return 



SPIRITUALISM 

I wish to present to you one of the 
grandest and noblest themes npon the 
face of the globe, namely, Spiritualism. 

Sad to relate, there are few who know 
the full meaning of this word, but I will 
try as best I can to place this wonderful 
matter before you as clearly as possible 
as has been revealed to me by my loved 
ones who have gone before. 

When I have completed this little book 
it is with heartfelt hope that everyone 
who reads these pages will be the happier, 
and permit their souls to be filled with 
new hopes and joys; that is, the possi- 
bility of meeting and communing with 
their dead. 

What a comfort it is to know, when we 
stand at the grave of our loved ones, that 
their souls can return to us and be our 
guardian angels. 

When we are brought face to face with 
the glorious truth, then we will know that 
death cannot separate us from the ones 



True Spirit Return 7 

who have entered the gates of eternity. 
Then we can know that even yet, while we 
are still upon this earth, they are not lost 
to ns. 

When they have entered the great be- 
yond, they have only gone to a world that 
is but a short distance from our earthly 
dwelling place, and can travel the space 
in a few second's time. 

When we have learned their language, 
both silent and spoken, we will realize the 
wonderful meaning of Spiritualism, and 
instead of trying to drive it from our 
churches we will consider no religion com- 
plete without its sweet, ennobling influ- 
ence. 

When the world has thrown open its 
doors to the spirits of our dead loved 
ones, then this earth will become more 
like heaven. 

Every day we will grow more perfect, 
until finally there will be no sin, and a 
great millennium will dawn upon the face 
of the globe. The two worlds will be so 
closely connected that it will be but a 
stepping stone from one to the other. 

But we have a great deal to learn be- 
fore we reach that state of perfection. 



8 True Spirit Return 

You will then look back and wonder how 
you could have been so slow accepting this 
wonderful faith, a faith that draws us 
closer to the feet of our Savior and to the 
Cross whereupon he died and shed his 
life's blood that we might live. 

We are merely in our A, B, C's at the 
present time, so let us keep our eyes and 
ears open for the new and wondrous 
teachings on this subject from those who 
have dipped deeper into this matter than 
we have. 

First, let us not scoff or make light of 
so serious a matter, but turn our hearts 
and souls with the greatest reverence to- 
wards the study of Spiritualism and all 
connected with it. 

I have said that it is possible for our 
loved ones to return to us from the shores 
of eternity and be our guardian angels, 
and this is quite true, but they can do 
more for us if we have faith in them and 
their ability to aid us. 

Like mortals, they want their work to 
be appreciated, and they like to be wel- 
comed and recognized. So why pause for 
a moment on the brink of this wonderful 
revelation that will break in glorious 



True Spirit Return 9 

splendor, uniting the two worlds together 
in one bond of love and sympathy. 

You can feel the bright golden light of 
a new day dawning in one peaceful and 
happy reunion. Our friends from the 
spirit world will guide us in our business 
affairs, as well as the hearts and souls of 
their loved ones in their earthly homes, 
bringing good cheer and merriment to all. 

Instead of misunderstandings and heart- 
aches, as is sometimes the case, there is 
harmony and peace when our spirit 
friends are guiding us in the paths of 
truth and justice. It will be easier, 
through their sweet ennobling influence, 
for us to get a clearer vision on life 's per- 
plexing problems, and to forget and for- 
give the wrongs that have been inflicted 
upon us. 

With their .silent voices whispering right 
from wrong, as our eminent writer and 
speaker, Professor Doyle, has expressed 
it, "How can we sin?" 

But don't mistake me to mean that we 
are exempt from yielding to the tempta- 
tions of this world even while our loved 
ones are pleading with us to turn away; 
for we are born in sin, and not until 



10 True Spirit Return 

we cross the cold river of death and 
enter the shores of eternity do we become 
perfect; or when the millennium dawns 
upon this earth, which will not be until 
Spiritualism has reached its highest 
zenith; will we mortals be less prone 
to sin, and will we close our eyes to many 
a flowery path that leads astray, or to the 
road of destruction and finally to the bot- 
tomless pits of hell where we will be com- 
pelled to serve a long and dreary term 
before we are permitted into the gates of 
heaven or to see our loved ones when we 
are guided by our spirit friends. 

To this purpose we should aim with 
untiring zeal, for it is surely worth while 
to have a religion that brings us nearer 
to a state of perfection each day that we 
become more and more endowed with the 
principles of Spiritualism. 

With this sweet influence around us we 
cannot fail to makes ourselves and others 
far happier than if we were without the 
presence of these guardian angels. 

But let us first consider how we can 
best woo the spirits of our dead, so that 
they can reveal themselves to us, and we 



True Spirit Return 11 

cannot only hear their voices but see 
their forms. 

What shall we do to call them from the 
land of eternity when we need them for 
some special task, or even to consult with 
them on ordinary affairs of everyday life. 

There are many and varied ways of 
calling up the dead. The one most com- 
monly used at the present time, and which 
proves very effective, is the laying of 
hands upon the table, and demanding, 
either silently or aloud, that the spirit if 
present rap three times, and if the spirit 
is present it will be made manifest by the 
trembling of the mortal's hands and of 
the table, and also three raps on or under 
the table. 

This result can be obtained better by 
what is known as a medium, but as 
Spiritualism progresses the possibility of 
everyone becoming efficient in this power 
of calling up their loved ones will be in 
keeping with the affairs of everyday life. 

The seances that are often held by a 
crowd of persons who are interested in 
the advancement of this cause, frequently 
result in wonderful revelations, as well as 
unexpected happenings. 



12 True Spirit Return 

The souls from spirit land are very fond 
of music, and will go quite a distance to 
hear a piece played on any of our earthly 
instruments, even a victrola. When the 
music is soft and low and sweet they will 
come all the way from heaven to listen to 
its bewitching strains, especially when it 
is played for the purpose of charming a 
spirit form to this world. 

They will tarry long and sometimes 
perform what mortals consider wonderful 
and miraculous tricks. They are full of 
fun and like a good joke as well as any 
earthly mortal; for in heaven they are a 
merry crowd. They laugh and play and 
can do more work in an hour than we 
earthly mortals can do in a day, so I have 
been informed by a saucy little spirit from 
the other world who knows. 

Why shouldn't they be a jolly crowd? 
With no aches or pains to worry them, 
and, as this same little saucy spirit has 
told me, Professor Doyle is correct in his 
statement that bodies are whole and per- 
fect in heaven. 

There are no blind or crippled or de- 
formities of any kind in this land of 
eternal happiness. So grieve not, fond 



True Spirit Return 13 

mother and father, when the angel of 
death has taken away your little child in 
the spring-time of its life, or in its sweet 
babyhood days, or even yet when they 
have reached the age of womanhood and 
manhood, for, remember, they will never 
know again the pangs of suffering and 
sorrow that this world contains. 

Do not moan for yonr mother or father, 
my children, who have crossed the river 
of death, when the antnmn winds have 
strewn dead leaves across their path, or 
winter's snow has turned their hair to 
silvery gray and bent their forms with 
the weight of years. 

When onr loved ones are sadly afflicted 
with some earthly malady, or with some 
kind of deformity, why should we sorrow 
when they are able to throw aside this 
imperfect shell that causes them only pain 
and suffering when they can have a new 
body, whole, perfect and beautiful, within 
the golden gates of heaven? 

Why think of them as gone when we 
can so easily call them back if we only 
learn the way, which is very simple, if we 
can teach ourselves to have faith in the 
doctrines of Spiritualism. 



14: True Spirit Return 

They often come without being called 
to help and guide us over the rough and 
stony points in life, but unknown and un- 
recognized by their earthly friends or 
relatives unless they are believers in 
Spiritualism. 

How much better it would be if every- 
one knew of this wonderful and glorious 
truth! How much better it is when our 
spirit friends are greeted with a warm 
welcome, acknowledged and appreciated 
by their own, in this world of sin and sor- 
row! How much brighter our whole 
world would be for this universal recog- 
nition! How pleased and happy our 
friends of the heavenly sphere would be 
over this belief in their power to return 
and abide with us. 

We could not fail to mark the difference 
in our lives from the time we took up the 
study of Spiritualism, on and forever 
after. 



True Spirit Return 15 



HEAVEN 

What is heaven like? so many people 
ask. Once more, I refer to Professor 
Doyle. He has correctly described it as a 
beautiful place, with magnificent homes, 
whose green lawns and gardens of lovely 
flowers, I wonld add, never fade, wither 
or die. 

The massive shade trees, with their 
foliage of leaves, which hold their color 
of spring-like tinting through the whole 
year long, can be seen everywhere. 

Along the broad white roads their 
branches overlap for miles and miles, 
making cool sweet avenues. The parks 
and mountainsides are filled and covered 
with these large trees, and they are of all 
the different varieties that grow upon this 
earth. 

Not only the spring tints can be seen in 
the foliage, but the gold and crimson of 
autumn lends enchantment to the view; 
but these leaves never wither and die any 
more than the souls that go there from 
this world. 



16 True Spirit Return 

Even the snow-capped monntains of 
winter are there to add loveliness to the 
scene. The skies are bine and the clonds 
are soft and fleecy, as they are here, bnt 
there are no storm clonds to mar their 
beanty. 

There are gorgeons snnsets in heaven, 
bnt no night, only twilight, soft and cool, 
when the spirit sonls can rest and medi- 
tate. 

The snnrise in the land of eternity is 
beantiful, even far more glorions than 
anything we ever saw on this earth. The 
seas instead of being bine are of a silvery 
glow and the shores are of gold. 

Bnt this brilliancy of coloring is not 
painfnl to the eyes for there is a soft light 
over the whole landscape. There are 
sparkling streams and rivers that wind in 
and ont throngh banks of flowers of every 
kind and trees whose heavy green 
branches dip low into the water's edge. 

There are springs and wells whose cool 
refreshing waters are as clear as crystal. 
Some of the hills are bine-topped and 
pnrple in the distance, and the parks and 
gardens are filled with lakes and foun- 
tains. 



True Spirit Return 17 

The lakes are dotted with white sail- 
boats, and the clear sparkling waters of 
the fountains cover the surrounding flow- 
ers with showers of diamonds. 

Sometimes the question is asked, "Are 
there any animals in heaven!' ' Yes; 
every kind that is upon the face of this 
globe is represented there, even the lions, 
bears, and tigers, only they are as tame 
and gentle as a house pet. 

As my spirit guide has told me, "many 
is the time, while strolling through the 
parks of heaven, I have met a lion and 
paused to stroke his shaggy mane. ,, 

The cat and dog can be found just as 
much at home there as here, not to men- 
tion cows and horses, and white woolly 
sheep can be seen grazing in the pastures 
and on the hillside, but they do not get 
their coats soiled and smutty like they do 
here. 

Poultry of every description, from the 
turkey on down to the chicken, can be seen 
strutting about the yards. The national 
bird of America, the eagle, sails through 
the blue skies of heaven as much a king 
of birds there as here. 

There is to be found the ostrich in the 



18 True Spirit Return 

land of eternal souls, but he is not robbed 
of his stately plumes for the purpose of 
trimming hats. 

Also the brilliant feathered peacock, 
but he does not permit his vanity to get 
the best of him in heaven as he does on 
earth, but in spite of his handsome feath- 
ers he is as humble as any bird. 

The dove in heaven, as in this world, 
holds the responsible position of being 
messenger bird, and the pigeon flies 
around at his own sweet will, but no one 
ever thinks of eating him when he is 
young, juicy and tender. 

The robin redbreast retains the honor 
of being the sacred bird in the eternal city. 
The parrot is as talkative and saucy in 
the world above as in the world below, but 
you never hear him say a curse word up 
there. 

You will find all the variety of song- 
birds, including the nightingale, mocking- 
bird, the canary and the lark, also all kinds 
of the small bird variety, from the wren 
on down to the English sparrow, but these 
last-named fowls do not fuss and scrap 
and try to drive away other birds in 
heaven as they do on earth. 



True Spirit Return 19 

Heaven is full of butterflies of the most 
gorgeous kind, but their wings are strong 
and never broken, and like the flowers, 
they never die. 

What are the seasons in heaven! One 
long perpetual spring — cool, sweet and 
balmy, with the fragrance of flowers ever 
stealing into the soft breezes. 

You have often heard it said, "How I 
wish the weather could be neither too hot 
nor too cold, but just right.' ' That is the 
way you find it in the world to come; 
perfect, with the softest of breezes to fan 
and rustle the leaves and flowers. Per- 
petual spring the whole year round. Per- 
haps you wonder how flowers, trees and 
plants can flourish with only one season, 
but that is one of the wonderful miracles 
of heaven that we earthly mortals cannot 
understand until we get there. 

"You wonder what we appear like in 
the golden city of eternity ?" my guardian 
angel asked me one day. 

"Bobed in garments of snowy white we 
appear in heaven,' ' she answered me, 
"and the women and children wear their 
hair to their waist, parted on one side or 
in the middle as they prefer." 



20 True Spirit Return 

The men are also robed in white, but 
they wear their hair short with no beard. 
It is only when they have been accnstomed 
to have a beard on earth and wish to ap- 
pear natural to those who know them, or 
are related to them, that they allow their 
spirit forms to be seen like that, but on 
reaching heaven this immediately disap- 
pears. This is another one of the wonder- 
ful miracles of the world above. 

There are countless instances like that, 
of varied descriptions, such as when the 
spirit was afflicted with the loss of some 
portion of his body while on earth or was 
suffering from some peculiar deformity, 
this would be the way that they would 
return to you from the land of eternity to 
this world. 

Their hair grows luxuriant and beauti- 
ful in heaven, but retains the same color 
that the spirit possessed when a mortal 
on earth in the days of youth. Only when 
they are seen by their earthly friends do 
they appear with gray hair or partly so, 
if that was the color when they passed out. 
This is in order that they can be recog- 
nized. They have the same features there 
as here, and their hair and eyes are the 



True Spirit Return 21 

same color and they are the exact height 
of their earthly form, if they have grown 
to maturity, when passing out. 

Though their features may be more or 
less irregular, still they do not appear 
ugly in heaven, though they may have 
been considered so on earth. For with the 
glow of love and perfect happiness shin- 
ing from their faces, and their spiritual 
bodies in perfect health, how can they 
appear ugly? 

They are always planning for the good 
of some of their loved ones or friends on 
earth, and nothing makes them any hap- 
pier than to be understood by the one they 
are attempting to aid, and they know no 
greater joy than to see their loved ones 
accomplish certain feats through their 
efforts. 

So why not meet them on half-way 
ground? Did you ever stop to think that 
when we fail to recognize the doctrines of 
Spiritualism we are denying our beloved 
ones of the heavenly sphere? 

There seems to be one stumbling block 
which stands in the way of many would-be 
believers in this faith which I wish to 
clear from their path of difficulties. It is 



22 True Spirit Return 

the question that arises in the minds of a 
large majority, which is a very natural 
one. 

How is it possible for them to return, 
and, after seeing the trials, troubles and 
sorrows that accompany us through life, 
still be happy? " Perhaps it is another 
one of heaven's miracles,' ' you will say 
when I tell you that it is quite possible. 

As my spirit guide has told me, "we are 
certainly not known as a cold-blooded, 
heartless set in heaven, so it couldn't be 
for that reason that we can remain happy 
while our friends and relatives on earth 
are going through with a certain amount 
of suffering and sorrow." In the first 
place, life on this earth, with all its sor- 
rows and perplexing questions, compared 
to eternity is of short duration. "lis but 
a stepping stone from earth to heaven, 
and our real life is just begun after we 
have entered the golden gates of eternity. 

The bitterness that we have just passed 
through will make the next world the 
sweeter. 

We will remember our troubles and af- 
flictions just long enough to draw out the 
contrast of the two worlds more vividly, 



True Spirit Return 23 

and heaven will seem the more beautiful 
in consequence. 

I doubt whether the angels who have 
dwelt in the land of eternity the whole of 
their lives, and have never known the 
sorrows that earthly mortals have passed 
through, find heaven half as beautiful as 
the souls who have come from the world 
of pain and afflictions. 

Knowing this, and having passed safely 
through the portals of death from this 
world to gain life eternal in the next 
world, as my guardian angel has told me, 
I can better understand how it can be 
possible for our spirit friends to remain 
happy while their loved ones are going 
through a certain amount of suffering 
and sorrow on earth. 

And then again, we spirits who are in 
heaven have a broader view of earthly 
matters and can see on every side of a 
question. But while we were in this world 
we could see but a short distance ahead, 
and often we mistook blessings for sor- 
rows. 

There is a great difference in which 
matters appear to us from the land of 
eternal happiness. In heaven all earthly 



24 True Spirit Return 

wrongs are forgiven and forgotten, and 
we soon find out, after arriving at our life- 
long home, that the troubles and adversi- 
ties that have not been straightened out 
when we left this world will be righted in 
heaven, and all wrongs will be adjusted 
there. 

Of course, while everything that went 
crooked on earth is untangled in heaven, 
still this fact does not prevent our spirit- 
ual friends from taking pleasure in 
smoothing out the rocky paths of life as 
much as is in their power. 

Why deny them this privilege by throw- 
ing doubts as to their power and ability 
to return to us in the spirit form? 

Sometimes the question is asked, "How 
can they be happy in heaven when they 
are separated from their loved ones?" 
But we believers in Spiritualism know 
that no form of death can take our dear 
friends and relatives away from us. 

The mortals of the worldly sphere often 
wonder what spiritual bodies appear like 
to each other in heaven. 

They are not flimsy, vapory or trans- 
parent there as they are when seen by 
mediums and others, but present a very 



True Spirit Return 25 

solid and substantial appearance, and at 
a glance they look like a well-fed crowd. 

"Doubtless you will think it strange 
that we can look so well and eat nothing, ' ' 
murmurs my guardian angel, with a 
chuckle. "Another one of heaven's mir- 
acles/ ' I hear you say. "Do we look like 
flesh and blood up there ?" Why of course 
we do, only in heaven the glow of health 
is in our faces and our complexions are 
perfect. We don't have to use beauty 
creams there to keep the skin soft and 
clear, and prevent wrinkles. 

You have heard about heavenly music, 
but you can never even imagine how di- 
vinely sweet and grand it is until you 
have heard its entrancing strains. The 
most wonderful music on earth does not 
begin to compare with it. 

There is the sound of the rippling wa- 
ters and the rushing waterfalls and the 
murmuring brook, blended with the voice 
of nature, from the boom of the ocean to 
the songs of the birds, and the soft tink- 
ling of silvery bells. 

Sometimes there are the sounds of the 
earthly night-winds which only lend a 
sweet cadence to the music and make it 



26 True Spirit Return 

the more enchanting. Then again, there 
is heard the merry breezes rustling the 
leaves and flowers, and yon seem to see 
the golden sunbeams dancing with the 
shadows. 

In heaven everyone can play and sing. 
All the musical instruments that you find 
on earth are there, from the pipe-organ 
down to the Jew's harp, and everyone can 
handle them prfectly. 

There are no discords in heaven when 
it comes to music any more than in other 
affairs of life. All is peace and harmony 
there. 

Every home has the different kinds of 
musical instruments that are found on 
this earth. The golden harp is a general 
favorite in this wonderful land of per- 
fection and beauty, and although it is 
considered here as one of the most difficult 
of instruments to learn, even a little child 
can play it up there. 

The melodies that can be brought forth 
from the golden harps are so divinely 
sweet that no words can describe them. 

Quite often they have the grandest con- 
certs in the parks where the band is ac- 
companied by every musical instrument, 



True Spirit Return 27 

except the pipe-organ, and then it is that 
the music rises and swells and fills the 
hills and dales and winding roads with 
sweet enchanting echoes, then grows faint 
and fainter still, only to die away in the 
distant snow-capped and purple-crowned 
mountains. 

But the fact that they have such de- 
lightful and beautiful music in heaven 
does not prevent them from enjoying our 
earthly strains, and we can draw their 
spirit forms from the land of eternity to 
this world quicker by music than in any 
other way except the laying on of hands 
upon the table. 

They think a great deal of our music, 
also, because it always brings them closer 
to their loved ones. 

Of course, they do not expect the per- 
fection in earthly music that they hear in 
heaven, but the spirits of the eternal 
world are not a critical set. You have no 
idea what delight it gives them to hang 
around a victrola or piano-player while 
paying us earthly mortals a visit from the 
spiritual world above. 

They like to go to the parks here and 
have a jolly good time, flitting around 



28 True Spirit Return 

among the crowd, seeing bnt unseen, and 
listening to the varied conversation and 
the sweet strains of music from the band 
concert; that is, if they are lucky enough 
to drop in on band concert night. 

Many a .silent laugh they have had to- 
gether over the jokes and remarks made 
by different persons and the fact that 
they could see and hear everything with- 
out being themselves seen. 

One thing that always amused us most 
was the fun we often got out of the ques- 
tion, when mingling in a lively crowd, 
What would they do and say if they knew 
that ghosts were along? So I have 
been informed by my saucy little spirit. 
They have had many a merry laugh over 
the scatteration and consternation they 
pictured would occur if these mortals 
knew the truth. 

But if Spiritualism were in full swing 
these worldly folks would not be afraid of 
any ghost that walks the earth, unless 
they are cold-blooded murderers or crim- 
inals of the deepest dye. In that case 
matters would be different. 



True Spirit Return 29 



THE POWER OF THE AVENGING 
SPIRIT 

Woe to such a wicked class if they fall 
into the hands of the avenging spirit 
when God has given him the right and the 
power to avenge a cruelly heartless wrong, 
or a horrible cold-blooded murder on this 
earth. When the one who has been per- 
mitted to play the part of an avenging 
spirit was a good, kind mortal and was 
driven out of this world through a mur- 
derer's hand, woe unto the slayer. 

It is no fancy on the murderer's part 
when he feels that he is haunted by day 
and by night with the spirit of the one 
whose soul he dared to thrust into etern- 
ity without the heavenly Father's per- 
mission. 

No fancy when he is pursued by silent 
footsteps, and when he takes flight in 
sudden terror. It is no imagination that 
causes him to come to a sudden pause and 
look with a frightened and startled ex- 
pression in his eyes, back and over his 
own shoulder, to ascertain whose unseen 



30 True Spirit Return 

hand had been laid so lightly upon his 
shoulder, but with such power as to draw 
him back and cause him to come to a dead 
stop ! It is no vision of the brain that he 
seems to see the fixed staring gaze from a 
pair of glassy eyes that are piercing 
through the blackness of night. 

A dim, shadowy form was all the mur- 
derer could discern, as vapory as the air, 
but it stood out as clearly as a human 
form, gray and weird. But there was no 
mistaking those eyes which gleamed with 
an accusing light, and suddenly their cold, 
icy stare changed and glowed like two 
balls of fire. 

Was it a vision that had formed its 
strange, unreal appearance from a con- 
science stricken soul ? No ; and it was not 
that that made him shrink back in horror, 
and then with a low frightened cry flee 
through the darkness, only to be pursued 
again by the same silent footsteps and 
dragged back by the same unseen hand, 
and confronted by a gray shadowy form 
with eyes that stared, fixed and glassy at 
times, and then burned like coals of fire 
until the murderer could feel his soul 



True Spirit Return 31 

shrivel as though consumed by a red-hot 
blaze ! 

Turn where he may, he was haunted 
by the ghost of his dead victim. Look 
where he might, those eyes ! There was 
no getting away from them. 

In some instances criminals of the 
deepest dye have been known to give 
themselves up to the prison bars and the 
death sentence because they have been 
haunted and tortured by the avenging 
spirit. 

But the prison cell, with its cold stone 
walls and iron bars, does it shut out the 
gray phantom that has haunted him for- 
ever by day and by night? No! 

It only drew him closer to this weird 
gray form. There was no escaping it 
now. He was locked in with it. He 
looked helplessly at the stone walls and 
iron bars of the narrow cell and then 
cowered back into a far corner. 

The ghost of his dead victim was slowly 
creeping upon him. "My God," he cried, 
"spare me." The first prayer that had 
passed the lips of this hardened sinner 
since he had knelt in childhood at his 
mother's knee. 



32 True Spirit Return 

But the spirit form crept close and 
closer still, until it was bending over him. 
He could feel its icy breath and cold, 
clammy hands upon his face. 

"Take it away," he cried, with one wild 
shriek that rent the air with a blood- 
curdling sound, which echoed through the 
prison cells. 

"He is going mad," some said. 

"He is conscience-stricken/' others 
said. 

Both were right, but they did not know 
the true cause. That he was haunted by 
the avenging spirit of his murdered vic- 
tim, and that its presence had driven him 
to madness, and the gaze from its glassy 
eyes had pierced his soul until his dead- 
ened conscience had awakened to the full 
consciousness of the horror of his crime. 

But he could only wait now the time for 
the carrying out of his death sentence 
and welcome even this gloomy prospect as 
a release from this never-tiring watch by 
a gaunt and shadowy spectre that hovered 
over him by night and by day. 

"This occurrence that I have been de- 
scribing is only one of many different 



True Spirit Return 33 

varieties of its kind," my guardian angel 
informed me one day. 

Sometimes the spirit that has been 
very cruelly wronged is allowed by our 
heavenly Father to punish the transgres- 
sor in any way he chooses. It is not al- 
ways souls that have been cast into eter- 
nity by wicked hands that are permitted 
to avenge the crimes of another. 

These ghosts of vengeance sometimes 
appear to the murderer in the same 
clothes that he, the victim, wore when he 
was slain by him; and except for the fact 
that he enters through closed doors or 
walls, or rises mysteriously before him 
from apparently nowhere, his form and 
features are as clear as in life. 

The strangest of all is that when these 
spirits who return to haunt and avenge 
the wrongs that have been committed 
against them have the same wound that 
his assassin inflicted upon him to cause 
his death. 

It may be a bullet hole or a cut throat, 
or a deep knife gash in some other part of 
the body with the crimson life-blood eb- 
bing fast. 

It is all there just as the murderer last 



34 True Spirit Return 

saw his victim, even to the livid pallor 
and look of anguished pain that the dying 
one wore in his last moments. 

In cases of this kind the ghost of the 
murdered one usually haunts the spot or 
house where he was killed. The slayer 
may have gone away, but woe unto him 
if he returns to either place or home 
where his hand sent a soul to eternity. 

He will torture and harass this wicked 
mortal either into confessing his crime or 
committing some desperate deed that will 
lead to his discovery, or .sometimes in his 
despair he would be driven to suicide. 

If the victim is an inmate of his own 
home, such as a wife, relative, friend or 
servant, as the case might be, and the 
unfortunate one has been secretly killed, 
his ghost will appear before the remain- 
ing members of the household, and by 
many and various methods reveal the 
crime. 

Or even if it happens to be a stranger, 
stopping at the gates, that has been mur- 
dered, this avenging spirit will rise be- 
fore the family and tell in hollow tones 
how he met his tragic death. 

If, by chance, the criminal moves away 



True Spirit Return 35 

from the scenes of his crime, and strang- 
ers come to live there, this avenging spirit 
will hannt the place and finally give the 
secret away. This, of course, results in 
the murderer's capture and imprison- 
ment. 

These cases that I have just mentioned 
are extreme ones and, comparatively 
speaking, are few. 

But don't misunderstand me when I re- 
peat that in heaven all wrongs are for- 
given; for after the avenging spirit has 
been permitted to punish and right some 
cruel and heartless wrongs that have been 
committed against him on earth, he for- 
gives and forgets it immediately on re- 
turning to the city of eternal happiness. 



36 True Spirit Return 



FITTUBE PUNISHMENT AND WABN- 

ING BY ONE OF HEAVEN'S 

GUABDIAN ANGELS 

So it behooves us mortals to beware 
and take care lest we allow ourselves to 
become careless and permit our lives to 
drift far away from the teachings of the 
Holy Book, our Sacred Word of God. 

It is hardly possible that the murderer 
or criminal of darkest deeds realized when 
he took the first step that it would carry 
him to the dark prison cell or to the death 
sentence. But step by step he gets farther 
and farther away from the foot of his 
Savior's Cross, until finally he is lost in 
the darkness of sin. 

So let us take warning from the mur- 
derer's fate, for it is a horrible thing to 
be haunted by the ghost of an avenging 
spirit. It is a serious matter to be lost in 
the darkness of sin, for then it will be 
many long and weary years, or may be 
ages, before the wanderer finds his way 
home in heaven. 

The length of time for his punishment 



True Spirit Return 37 

depends upon the deepness of his sin. 
But no matter how wicked the man or 
woman has been on this earth they will 
not be held in the black and bottomless pit 
forever. 

It is a mistaken idea that the majority 
of people have that there is eternal pun- 
ishment. The Greek word that has been 
translated in the Bible as eternity should 
read as age, which means for the time 
being, or, in other words, as long as God 
sees fit to keep the transgressor in his 
dungeon home, and that would be accord- 
ing to the weight of his sins. No; not 
forever ! 

Do you think that a kind heavenly 
Father would create poor, helpless mor- 
tals, only to destroy their opportunity for 
happiness for the remainder of their lives 
with their souls writhing and burning 
through countless years of eternity! 

For why did Christ, the beloved Son of 
God, leave His throne in heaven and come 
to this world of sin and suffering, to be 
scoffed at, and finally to be crucified with 
a crown of thorns upon His brow? Look 
you upon those cruel nails that pierce the 
tender flesh! See those drops of blood! 



38 True Spirit Return 

Hear that agonized cry, "Forgive them, 
Father, for they know not what they do ! ' ' 

And the Father's voice from heaven, 
"He gave His life that all might live," 
and looking back on this sad scene with 
the words of the Father and Son still 
ringing in onr ears, tell me, can you be- 
lieve that the majority or masses of sonls 
are doomed to eternal punishment in a 
pit filled with fire and brimstone! There 
is hope for ALL. 

The belief that onr opportunities for 
eternal happiness are lost on the other 
side of the grave is a sad mistake. There 
is hope beyond the grave, I repeat. This 
fact should not make us careless, never- 
theless. For it will be a longer and more 
severe punishment if we do not repent of 
some of the many sins we commit before 
the angel of death has taken us across the 
cold dark river. 

It would be far better for him to lead a 
good true life, true to himself and to 
others and enter the golden gate of heav- 
en immediately after leaving this earth, 
without having to pass through the dark 
and gloomy dungeons of hell. 

Let him read the Holy Book of Grod 



True Spirit Return 39 

constantly, and that will keep him close to 
the feet of his Savior, and let him study 
the doctrines of Spiritualism, and that 
will enable him to read the Holy Word 
with a clearer knowledge. 

He might drift into bypaths and away 
from the main road, bnt if his heart and 
soul are filled with the proper teachings, 
he will be drawn back to the way that 
leads to the Savior's throne in heaven. 

But should he truly repent of his sins, 
though deep-dyed, on this side of the 
grave and lives a Christian's life ever 
afterwards, until his soul is called away, 
he will find a home in the eternal city. 

He will then be saved from the black 
and gloomy pits of hell; so despair not, 
my friend, who has wandered far away 
from the fold, for through the blood of 
our Savior ye shall be saved, for has He 
not told us that though your sins be as 
scarlet, they can be washed as white as 
snow? 

But delay not your repentance, for the 
cold hand of death may strike you help- 
less, and it will be too late, and as the 
poet has said : Of all sad words of tongue 



40 True Spirit Return 

or pen, the saddest are these: It might 
have been. 

There is one thing I wish to mention 
before closing np this subject, and that is 
that Grod, the Creator of the universe and 
every living creature, the All Powerful, is 
our Supreme Judge, but is far more 
merciful and kind in His judgment of us 
than our earthly friends. 

This, I think, should be a great comfort 
and consolation to us. This knowledge 
should encourage us to accomplish as 
many noble and unselfish deeds as is in 
our power, and be a great incentive to 
high principles and right living. 

Then, again, how can we stray far from 
the foot of our Savior's Cross when we 
know that it grieves both Father and Son 
and the Holy Ghost, and that our Savior 
sits at the right hand of His Father's 
throne to intercede ever for us? 



True Spirit Return 41 



SUICIDES 

There are a few matters I wish to men- 
tion. They are with reference to the ex- 
ceptions that it takes to form a rule. 

As a rule, persons who dare to send 
their souls to eternity, through their own 
hand, by committing suicide are doomed 
to future punishment. 

There are a few exceptions to this rule, 
but (rod is the Judge of these few suicides 
that escape future punishment. He 
weighs every side of the question with ac- 
curate justice. He considers the motives 
and all the circumstances connected with 
it. And, of course, He is in a position to 
know the ins and outs of the whole affair 
from beginning to end. These sad trage- 
dies He will handle as they rightly de- 
serve. 

There is one class of suicides I wish to 
make mention of as belonging to the ex- 
ceptions that form the rule; that of one 
who has, according to the laws of God, 
lived a true, good life, but has been driven 
to desperation and finally to suicide by 



42 True Spirit Return 

the heartless and cruel treatment of one 
who is very near and dear to him, and 
should be kind and loving, but instead has 
made life more bitter than death. 

These poor unfortunates that have suf- 
fered so on earth will enter the golden 
gates of heaven without any delay. 

There is another exception that goes to 
form the rule. That of one who is driven 
to end his own life through a chain of un- 
happy events that crowd around him with 
such confusing persistence that he scarce- 
ly knows which way to turn to avoid a 
terrible catastrophe. 

These are not counted among the 
doomed who are compelled to serve a term 
in the gloomy dungeon of hell. 

There is a third class that I wish to call 
your attention to ; those whose minds have 
become clouded through brooding long 
over sorrows and troubles that have 
weighed so heavily upon their hearts that 
in a moment of desperate despair they 
put an end to their weary lives. 

Do not question here, "Why did God 
permit it?" 

That is a subject that is broad and deep. 
It is enough to say that God doeth all 



True Spirit Return 43 

things well, and gathers the storm-tossed 
sonl to His broad bosom to rest. 

Thongh onr heavenly Father is all 
powerful He is not responsible for all of 
the ills or misfortunes that befall this 
world. He has not made us machines, 
but has given us wills and brains of our 
own, and the power to think, and His Holy 
Book to guide us. As ye sow, so shall ye 
reap, says the Holy Word of God. Many 
times the troubles and sorrows that we 
endure are brought upon us by our neg- 
lect and miserable mistakes, but our kind, 
heavenly Father, knowing our weaknesses 
in sin and earthly temptations, judges us 
leniently and gathers us tenderly in His 
arms. 

But as I have said before, God is not 
responsible for all of our sorrows and 
troubles, but there are times when He 
sees fit to chastise His earthly children 
when they have wandered far away from 
the Cross. 

It is for their good and to bring them 
back before they are lost in the darkness 
of sin, and ere they wander .so far that 
death might call them away before they 
have repented, and they must needs pass 



44 True Spirit Return 

through the shadows of the bottomless pit 
before reaching His home in heaven. 

As a father punisheth his children so 
punisheth He: with the same loving kind- 
ness and gentle tenderness he shows to 
his erring children. 

"While I am speaking of exceptional 
cases of suicides, let me mention a few 
circumstances in which murderers escape- 
future punishments. 

Under these conditions they would go 
straight to heaven, though the death angel 
might call them away before they had an 
opportunity for repentance. These cases 
are extremely rare, and very seldom 
known to live long after the occurrence, 
even though they may have been par- 
doned by the law, for the horror of their 
crimes weigh so heavily upon their brains 
and hearts that their physical bodies lose 
strength until they can no longer be a fit 
resting place for their souls, and they 
take flight. But in all their seeming dis- 
regard for the commandment of God, are 
swiftly guided by the angel of love 
through the pearly gates of heaven. 

These sad cases are parallel in likeness 
to those I have just mentioned as suicidal 



True Spirit Return 45 

exceptions. The points relating to their 
strange history are very similar, and they 
are generally persons from whom the 
world would least expect suicide or 
murder. 

They are usually of a kind and gentle 
nature, unselfish and of high and noble 
principles, giving all, and expecting noth- 
ing in return but love and kindness. But 
frequently they meet with not only cold 
rebuffs, but such cruel and unfair treat- 
ment, mingled with horrible threats, that 
finally, hemmed in a corner as it were, 
and fenced in, and suddenly driven to des- 
peration, they strike the blows that cost 
their own lives or that of others. 

And then sometimes it ends in a double 
tragedy. The murderer commits suicide, 
and then the world stands back in horror, 
but God, knowing all and understanding 
as no mortal could, stoops down in pity 
and places the worn soul in the arms of 
the love angel. 

Bring him to My mansion of peace and 
rest are the words of our heavenly Father. 

Softly and gently the snowy wings are 
folded around the bruised and tired soul, 
and away from the gray and misty shores 



46 True Spirit Return 

of death he is carried to the home of 
eternal happiness. 

There is another exception I wish to 
mention with reference to murder cases. 
There are persons who kill in self-defense 
according to God's knowledge, but not 
man's, for they are incapable of a clear 
decision, as they do not know all the cir- 
cumstances concerning the tragedy, nor 
can they read the inmost soul of the one 
who committed the deed. 

Soldiers that fight and kill in battle 
come under this class. In the eyes of 
God this is considered self-defense, for 
they were drawn into it through a chain 
of circumstances they could not prevent. 

In the World War, for instance. And 
again I hear people say, "Why did God 
permit it?" which carries me back to a 
subject that is broad and deep, and I 
have neither the space nor the time to 
discuss it here, but I would answer that 
question by saying that God did not per- 
mit it. 

It was the devil's work, and it is an 
insult to the Lord to say that He was in- 
strumental in causing the bloodiest fight 
that was ever fought on this universe; it 



True Spirit Return 47 

was the devil's work from start to finish, 
but innocent people and innocent nations 
were dragged into it by the cunning brain 
and plans of his satanic majesty. 

Nothing gives him more delight than to 
see nations, countries among themselves, 
families, relatives and friends at war, 
which leads me into my next subject — The 
Power of Satan and his Evil Spirits. 



48 True Spirit Return 



POWEE OF SATAN AND HIS 
EVIL SPIRITS 

6 1 Is there really a devil V ' ■ you have 
heard it asked. 

Yes; and he is a very powerful one. 

Do not deceive yourself into thinking 
that you are free from such an enemy. 
To close your eyes to a danger does not 
lessen, but increases it. 

"But I do not believe in a devil," I 
hear you say. "You don't, do you?" 

It is because you do not find it is a 
pleasant belief to hold. Wake up, ye who 
have lulled yourselves to .sleep on the idle 
dreams that there is no such foe to con- 
tend with. Take care, ye who fancy your 
foot firm in the foundations of Christian- 
ity lest you slip at any moment. Take 
heed lest this demon of cunning wicked- 
ness offers you a draught that contains 
poison. The poison of sin that will cause 
the death of the soul. 

By this I mean lost — lost in the dungeon 
of hell until it can be redeemed again 
through the blood of our Savior. Watch, 



True Spirit Return 49 

for fear that lie hand you temptations 
done up in such neat and attractive pack- 
ages that you fail to recognize satan, as 
the giver, or to see the hidden viper 
among its contents, the sting of which 
would cause instant death to your spirit- 
ual being. 

Or even yet knowing that it is the 
devil 's hand that offers you this deadly 
missive the temptation is so great that you 
cannot resist it. 

Or bolder still, he holds before your 
eyes a sin so hideous and gaunt that you 
draw back in horror. 

" Accept,' ' whispers the persuasive 
voice of satan, ' * 'Twill lead to untold 
wealth and glory." 

"Oh, no," you reply. 

But instead of turning away and be- 
seeching God to remove this destructive 
monster of sin you continue to gaze, until 
you become fascinated and accept even 
against your own will, knowing that the 
wages of sin are death. 

Vice is a monster of so frightful mien, 
As to be hated needs but to be seen; 
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face, 
We first endure, then pity, then embrace. 



50 True Spirit Return 

But as a rule, satan prefers more cun- 
ning and deceitful methods. Disguised in 
a form so fair and beautiful, he is ofttimes 
mistaken for an angel of love and mercy, 
and drawing back the curtain of time, he 
bids us look down the vista of future 
years. We obey. And behold a path 
.strewn with flowers of wondrous beauty 
and banked on both sides with garlands of 
roses and, in the distance, marble palaces 
of surpassing grandeur. 

We turn from the rough and narrow 
highway to enter this flower-strewn path 
to find, alas ! when it is too late, that its 
bright, entrancing petals were only to hide 
traps and pitfalls; its garland of roses to 
tear the flesh, and its wondrous palaces of 
grandeur and beauty to fall and crumble 
around you, crushing and breaking your 
heart, and ruining your life forever. And 
to find at last that this flower-strewn path 
leads far away from the gates of heaven. 

The silent and unseen forces of satan 
but make him the more powerful. He is 
there, but you do not see him. It is like 
fighting an enemy in the dark. If you can 
persuade yourself, either through your own 
influence or his, that he does not exist at 



True Spirit Return 51 

all, then you have unconsciously enlisted 
on his side and unintentionally lent your- 
self a ready aide to his devilish plans and 
diabolical schemes, and unwillingly given 
yourself over into the devil's net, and 
placed yourself in his power and under 
his thumb to turn you whichever way it 
suit his satanic majesty, which would be 
far from the portals of heaven. 

Yes, satan is very real and powerful. 
He dwells in the underworld with his evil 
spirits. 

The Holy Book tells us that he was 
once an archangel in heaven, but he be- 
came overpuifed with his own importance, 
and imagined that he could become 
greater than Grod, and wanted to run the 
kingdom to suit himself. 

He became very flip and his Supreme 
Euler fired him from his lofty position in 
heaven and sent him and a bunch of his 
followers to the black and bottomless pits 
of hell, where they have dwelt ever since. 

These creatures were angels also, but 
now they are the evil spirits that are so 
often mistaken for our good spirits of the 
dead. 

They do a lot of mischief and cause us 
a great deal of trouble. 



52 True Spirit Return 

They even go so far in their imitations 
of Spiritualism that frequently with the 
devil's aid we mortals are quite deceived 
by them. 

This often discourages would-be be- 
lievers and sometimes causes them to turn 
away from the doctrines of Spiritualism, 
for these evil spirits generally give bad 
advice, and are ofttimes rough and cruel. 

But we must remember that by keeping 
our spirit friends and loved ones close 
around us we can feel secure from an in- 
vasion of this kind, and at sight of these 
picket guards these imps of satan will 
slink away like whipped curs. 

This experience should only make us 
stronger in our faith in Spiritualism and 
cause us to be more determined to spread 
its glorious teachings far and wide. 

There is another imitator of Spiritual- 
ism — the magician. He puts up before 
the world such wonderful and natural 
imitations that half of the public think it 
is all fake. 

This should not be mixed up with the 
true philosophy of Spiritualism, nor 
should we permit ourselves to class the 



True Spirit Return 53 

works of our spirit friends and tricks of 
the deceiver as one. 

The magician, deceived by his own de- 
ceit, scoffs at the idea of spirit return, 
and, as a rule, you will find this class the 
most skeptical and the hardest to reach 
with the true facts concerning Spiritual- 
ism. 

He is unconsciously influenced by his 
satanic majesty who causes him to think, 
"My work is a fake, so must be the other 
fellow's, only he doesn't put up as good a 
job of it as I do," and half the public are 
persuaded to the same belief, while the 
devil sits back and laughs in his sleeve 
when he thinks how easily deceived mor- 
tals are. 

The devil's motto is "Kevenge!" For 
when the Euler of the universe hurled him 
from the throne above to the bottomless 
pits below he vowed vengeance against his 
Maker and all mankind. And then he 
plants this spirit of* revenge in the hearts 
and souls of earthly mortals, which 
causes them to commit deeds of the 
deepest dye. This he knows will be the 
means of reaping in a larger harvest for 
his own kingdom. 



54 True Spirit Return 

His greatest desire is to rob as many 
souls for his own dreary abode as possi- 
ble. For lie knows that the deeper and 
darker their sins are, the longer must be 
their prison terms in his dungeon home. 

The author, in his fancied writings, who 
has portrayed satan in his characteristic 
description has rightly credited him with 
making the true remark, when in a loud 
voice he cried, "Oh, for one wise soul in 
hell! I have plenty of fools, but, oh, for 
one wise soul and one innocent one, close 
to the foot of her Savior's cross I fain 
would draw her. What a triumph it 
would be to win two such souls for my 
throne!" and a fiendish, mocking laugh 
rang and echoed through the cells of hell. 

"Like jewels in a crown I would place 
them," he muttered, with a hoarse, tri- 
umphant laugh. 

His satanic majesty bargained, so the 
story went, with a philosopher that was 
bent and old, but was possessed with wis- 
dom beyond his years. "Youth, beauty 
and love will I give you for your soul in 
hell," says satan to the aged man, "but 
you must help to win for me her soul, 
and I will give in return the love of this 



True Spirit Return 55 

beautiful girl," and satan lifted the veil 
and showed him the vision of Marguerite. 

The philosopher bowed his head in sor- 
rowful assent, and signed the compact 
with his own life's blood. 

Satan laughed and rubbed his hands to- 
gether gleefully. "Two souls are as good 
as mine," he muttered, but he little reck- 
oned on the power of the Cross and an 
avenging God. 

For at that last bitter moment, as Mar- 
guerite and Faust stood at the cold river 
of death, and satan and all the world 
thought that they were lost, a kind, loving 
Father stooped down and gathered them 
up to His glorious home above. 

Marguerite had lived so close to her 
Savior's Cross the whole of her life, and 
although she had wandered away in those 
last bitter days, and it was far from its 
rugged steps that the angel of death 
found her, she was saved, forgiven by the 
heavenly Father. 

For He knew that she was truly repen- 
tant, and she had not forgotten to pray in 
Christ's name, and she was redeemed on 
the brink of the grave, much to the dis- 
may of satan and his imps. 



56 True Spirit Return 

"Though your sins are as scarlet, they 
shall be washed as white as snow," and 
"Pray, ask in faith and believing, thou 
shalt receive," are the words that came 
before Marguerite. 

The words from the Holy Book of God 
were the only rays of sunshine that en- 
tered her darkened sonl in a dreary prison 
cell, where satan ofttimes visited her, and 
whispered in a hoarse and hollow voice, 
' 'You are mine," and with a mocking 
laugh, he said, ' ' Why pray now ? You are 
too late," but Marguerite turned away 
from him and prayed as she had never 
done before. 

She prayed, hoping against despair, and 
she did not forget to include her friend. 
And he was saved also, in spite of the fact 
that he had signed the contract with his 
own life's blood. 

Doubtless, he was spared the tortures 
of hell through not only the prayers of 
Marguerite but his own. But like her, 
Faust as a philosopher had lived a true, 
good life and had always been kind to his 
fellow men. 

And God saw that it was the cunning 
brain of his satanic majesty that had 



True Spirit Return 57 

planned and caused it all, and that Mar- 
guerite and Faust had no inclination on 
their part to live the wicked lives the devil 
had mapped out for them, but the philos- 
opher, in momentarily yielding to the voice 
of satan, had placed himself in a trap, 
and closed the door upon him, and there 
was no possible way of getting out unless 
aided by a higher power than his satanic 
majesty. 

Had Faust remembered (or perhaps he 
did), the fear that satan portrayed at the 
sight of the Cross when they were stroll- 
ing through the garden at the close of 
day, near the little church where Mar- 
guerite had been wont to go, he would 
have surely realized in his despair the 
strength of a higher power. 

It was on an occasion when Faust, hav- 
ing almost despaired of Marguerite's life, 
thinking his satanic majesty all-wise, had 
asked of him a question, "Will she live?" 
Satan, with his thin, cruel lips pressed 
tightly together, looked greatly annoyed 
as he pointed upward, and shook his head, 
and answered, "I do not know. Ask of a 
Higher Power who holds the mysteries of 
life and death in His hand." 



58 True Spirit Return 

Beluctantly, satan had acknowledged the 
superiority of God, not because he wished 
to, but he dared not do otherwise, for he 
knew where the limit was to his own evil 
control. 

Faust looked in wonder at his compan- 
ion, for at the same time satan had 
pointed upward the sky had grown black, 
and great streaks of lightning played 
above their heads and darted like tongues 
of fire through the firmament. And he 
trembled and shrank within himself. The 
clouds sank low, and grew dark and heavy. 
Loud peals of rumbling, muttering thun- 
der burst forth from their stormy midst, 
while the lightning flashed incessantly. 

In satan's eyes there was written an 
expression of intense fear, for in the 
voice of the thunder he heard but the 
voice of an accusing, angry God, and in 
the lightning he saw His almighty hand. 

"Look, look!" exclaimed the demon of 
the underworld, in tones of abject terror, 
"The Cross, the Cross; I cannot bear the 
sight of the Cross." 

And covering his frightened face with 
his hands, he knelt and bowed in silence, 
until his head had touched the ground. 



True Spirit Return 59 

Faust, in greater wonder still, looked 
and saw that the Cross on the little church 
where Marguerite had worshipped since 
childhood was wreathed in lightning, and 
stood out clearly against a black sky. 

Faust gazed as though fascinated, as 
vivid flashes of lightning played around 
the Cross, and he seemed to draw strength 
and courage from this illuminated symbol 
of Christ. 

What had struck terror in the heart of 
satan shone forth as an emblem of hope 
to the heart of the man. 

Faust, emboldened by satan 's fear of 
the Cross, sought to gain a release from 
his soul bondage. 

His satanic majesty had now risen to 
his feet and walked away, but in the op- 
posite direction from the church; nor did 
he turn his head for fear his eyes might 
once more encounter the terrors of the 
Cross. 

The young man followed him. "Are 
you afraid of the Cross? " Faust ques- 
tioned him, in a tone that might have been 
termed light and bantering. 

A shudder ran through the powerful 
frame of the devil at the mere mention 



60 True Spirit Return 

of this name as he drew himself together 
and answered: "Yes." 

"That is strange," Faust replied. 

"Not so singular/' answered satan, 
evasively. "Everyone fears something." 

"But God is not afraid of anything," 
replied Faust. 

"No, you fool," answered satan savage- 
ly, "how can He be, when He is Euler and 
Maker of the universe, and Creator of 
all living creatures!" 

"You admit the almighty power of 
God?" asked Faust. 

His satanic majesty smiled a faint 
smile, and answered: "Yes, there are 
some truths that even the devil himself 
dare not lie about," and a dry, hard, 
chuckle proceeded from the devil's throat 
at his own wit, and Faust laughed in spite 
of the seriousness of the situation. 

But the face of the young man grew 
suddenly grave as he scanned the hard, 
cruel features of his companion. "Me- 
phisto, I would beg of you to free me 
from this horrible soul bondage." 

"That you signed with your own life's 
blood!" exclaimed satan. "Never!" and 
the devil, perceiving that Faust had taken 



True Spirit Return 61 

advantage of his fear of the Cross, drew 
himself up and gave the man a look so 
fierce and angry as to hush him into mo- 
mentary silence, and it was his turn to 
tremble and shrink back in fright. 

""What! think yon," asked satan, in 
mocking tones, "that I have worked so 
hard and so long to win one wise sonl and 
one innocent one for my throne in hell 
only to lose them now at the last mo- 
ment ?" 

"Yon refuse?" persisted Faust. "Then 
I will appeal to a higher power. I will 
pray God to enable me to break asunder 
the chains that hold me to such a fate." 

"You pray to God?" repeated satan. 
"You, who sold yourself to the devil for 
youth, love and beauty?" and a mocking 
laugh rang out upon the night air, cold 
and cruel. 

"Listen!" exclaimed satan, with a hard 
fiendish look in his evil eyes. "Your 
days are numbered and your doom is 
fixed. Ere four moons have passed over 
your head you will hang upon a gallows 
in yon prison yard. Your worthless body 
they will throw into the ground without 
ceremony, and your worthy soul I will 



62 True Spirit Return 

gather up for my dungeon home," and 
again that mocking laugh rang out upon 
the air, cold, pitiless and cruel. " Permit 
me," said his satanic majesty, bowing 
low, with mock courtesy, "to show you 
your future home. Come," he demanded 
sharply, but Faust shrank back, and his 
eyes had a frightened expression in them. 

And the man turned away and his face 
grew deadly pale. "Oh, no," he cried," 
"not now. It will be time enough when I 
must go. I do not wish to see the place 
of terrors at the present." 

"Your wishes are not to be considered," 
replied the devil in tones of heartless in- 
difference, and throwing open the great 
iron gates satan bade him look. 

Faust looked, and saw not the Cross, 
but the horrors of hell. 

"Spare me," cried the man, "I cannot 
bear the thoughts of spending my future 
life in such a horrible place. And Mar- 
guerite, must she come, too?" 

"Marguerite, whose soul you so valiant- 
ly aided me in winning for hell? Yes, 
she will also make this dreadful abode her 
final home." 

Once more the devil's mocking laugh 



True Spirit Return 63 

rang out clear and distinct, and Fanst 
winced at the reminder that he had played 
a part in aiding the devil in snch a dia- 
bolical plot. 

His satanic majesty gave the man a 
scornful glance as he continued in a sar- 
castic voice, "Yes, and Marguerite will 
be sentenced to life imprisonment for 
committing a crime that you influenced 
her to, and she will die of a broken heart 
and from being locked up in a cold iron 
cell, but I cannot tell just how soon this 
will cause her death, for only the higher 
powers know that; but I judge it will not 
be long before I can gather up her soul 
for my dreary abode. There will be no 
chance for you to look upon her fair, 
beautiful face after she has left this 
world," went on the devil, with a fiendish 
gleam in his wicked eyes, ' ' for though you 
will both be prisoners of mine, I will see 
to it that you are locked in different 
cells.' ' 

"It is horrible!" moaned Faust. "Is 
there no way I can pay this debt, without 
spending my future life in such a place?" 

"None," replied Mephisto. 

"I cannot, I will not spend my future 



64 True Spirit Return 

days with you; and Marguerite, it is too 
terrible for such a sensitive and beautiful 
girl to be imprisoned in your black dreary 
underworld. It must not he. The thought 
of it makes my blood run cold!" 

' 'You should have thought of that 
sooner," answered satan, with a sneering 
smile; "you are too late now!" 

"I will not listen to you any longer," 
replied Faust. "There surely must be 
mercy in a higher power," and in spite 
of the devil's protest Faust kneeled and 
prayed as he had never done before. 

And the devil, knowing the miraculous 
power of prayer, grew nervous and un- 
easy and descended to the underworld to 
get his imps to aid him in drawing the 
chains of bondage tighter around his 
worldly victim. Well pleased with his 
work he ascended to earth once more, 
and again that mocking laugh echoed 
through the night air, cold, heartless and 
cruel. 

"I've got you now!" exclaimed the 
devil, rubbing his hands gleefully together, 
"you are mine; no prayers can save you 



True Spirit Return 65 

But he little reckoned on the merciful 
kindness of a powerful God. It was far 
greater than even his satanic majesty had 
weighed it out to be. For the prayers of 
Marguerite and Faust were heard, and 
they were saved in spite of the devil's 
cunning devices. 

It is said that truth is stranger than 
fiction, and I would say that this story of 
Faust and Marguerite is no stranger than 
truth, except for the fact that our real 
devil has not the power to change old age 
to youth. That is merely a fancy on the 
author's part to make the story go, but 
he is possessed with all the cunning and 
deceitful ways that the writer has given 
him credit for, and is just as dangerous 
and powerful a foe. 

I have given this narrative of Faust 
and Marguerite merely as an illustration 
of how his satanic majesty tempts mortals 
on this earth. So once more I would 
warn you who think your foot firm to take 
care and beware lest you slip at any mo- 
ment, for in real life there is a devil who 
cries out loudly: "Oh, for one wise soul 
in hell and one innocent one," and sad to 



66 True Spirit Return 

relate he has won not few but many such 
souls for his dire abode of gloom and 
darkness and terror. 

Watch close lest at any moment this 
monster of the underworld trick you into 
following one of his flowery paths that 
lead only to death and destruction. 

The most powerful weapon that we can 
use against this dangerous foe, his satanic 
majesty, is the sword of prayer, and our 
greatest protection, the Holy Book of God 
and close companionship with our spirit 
friends from the heavenly sphere. 

Again, I seem to hear some one mur- 
mur, "But why does God permit satan to 
have so much power and authority, and 
permit him so many privileges in this 
world and in the world below ?" Eight 
here I would like to say you mortals on 
earth take more upon yourselves than we 
of the heavenly sphere. We would never 
dare to question God's wisdom, His su- 
preme power, or aught connected with 
Him. Enough to say, as I said before, 
"God doeth all things well." 

The devil's time of glory is limited. 
There will come a day when he will be 



True Spirit Return 67 

chained in his own dnngeon home, and not 
allowed to walk broadcast npon the earth, 
causing mischief and wreckage wherever 
he goes; and for every sonl that he has 
enticed into his kingdom, just so much 
longer and harder must be his punishment 
and imprisonment. He will dwell in the 
deepest and darket pits of hell, where 
the world's hardest criminals are kept. 
The only spot in hell where burns perpet- 
ual fire and brimstone that is often re- 
ferred to in the Bible. 

Then God will reveal his mighty power 
as well as His great mercy and wonderful 
love and kindness. Then will Christ walk 
the earth and the great millennium will 
spread its golden wings over the world 
and Spiritualism will have entered, as I 
said before, into all the churches, and 
reign supreme in every home. Peace, 
happiness and harmony shall dwell in 
every heart. There will be no wars, no 
unrests, or disturbances of nations, fami- 
lies and individuals. 

Peace, glorious peace will greet you 
everywhere, for the disturber, the wrecker 
of homes and countries will be chained in 



68 True Spirit Return 

the bottomless pits of hell where burns 
perpetual fire and brimstone. Eev. 21st 
ch., 10th verse, which shows the power of 
the almighty God, and leads me into my 
next subject the power of God and His 
spiritual forces. 



True Spirit Return 69 



THE POWEE OF GOD AND HIS 
SPIRITUAL FORCES 

Who can doubt the almighty power of 
God? 

Pause for a moment to consider the 
vastness of the universe and stop to think 
that His hand created it all. 

And if we would spare a moment's time 
to read these few words found in the last 
chapter of Revelations, thirteenth verse, 
I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and 
the end, the first and the last, we would 
then grasp the wonderful sublimity of God. 

Have you tarried long enough to drink 
in the full meaning of these words! 

You may understand, in part, this 
wonderful verse of the Holy Book, and 
get a faint glimmer of the magnificent 
grandeur of our Maker and Ruler of the 
whole universe, heaven above, earth be- 
low, and hell beneath, also the intricate 
solar systems; but try as you might to 
see the full meaning of these few simple 
words, and to understand the full beauty 
and glory of God, and the vast eternity of 



70 True Spirit Return 

His life, it would be impossible for your 
mortal brain to comprehend it all. 

Alpha and Omega means the beginning 
and the end, the first and the last. God is 
the beginning and the end. Can you un- 
derstand that! "Yes!" I seem to hear 
you say, but you answer too quickly. 
Think long and deep. 

"No!" I hear you say. "I thought I 
did, but the harder I tried to untangle the 
meaning of those words, the more puzzled 
I became." 

Just so ! It was like attempting to solve 
a mystery. In short, you felt as though 
you had run against a blank wall, and 
could get no farther in your degrees of 
understanding. 

What was it that perplexed you most, 
the first or last part of the verse! The 
first few words seem to mystify me the 
most, but the latter part I comprehend 
better. 

Is it little wonder when I tell you the 
true meaning of Alpha, I am the begin- 
ning, the first, which infers that God has 
lived forever in the past! I repeat that 
your mortal brain cannot possibly grasp 
so mystical a truth. It is beyond you, 



True Spirit Return 71 

but in the future, when death has lifted 
the veil, you will understand. Now you 
see as through a glass darkly, but then 
you shall see clearly. 

But let us glean all that we can from 
this glorious truth. It is easy for us to 
understand what the present means, and 
it does not seem so difficult for us to com- 
prehend the future as extending into 
years, and even into countless ages be- 
yond the present time; but the farther 
away the years are from us, the more we 
are compelled to stretch our imagination, 
until finally we reach a very fine point, 
and something seems to snap. We have 
reached the limit of our earthly vision. 
Our mortal brain has compassed as great 
a space into the future as it is capable of. 

But when we have entered the golden 
gates of heaven, then we will understand. 
Then we will know how it can be possible 
for the future to extend into such a vast 
eternity of countless years and ages for- 
ever and forever without end. 

But let us turn back and reconsider the 
past. This space of time includes the 
beginning that God refers to, and is 
harder to understand than the latter part 



72 True Spirit Return 

of the verse, but let us at least try as 
best we cau to comprehend in part a por- 
tion of its wonderful meaning. 

But as previously mentioned it might be 
possible for your mortal brain to begin 
to comprehend an eternal future, a partial 
but not an eternal past that extends back 
forever and forever without end. Amen. 

Do not understand me to say you do not 
believe this strange, miraculous fact; you 
simply cannot understand it. 

And even when I say that it will become 
clear to you when you have entered the 
great beyond, while it is evident that this 
is true, still you are puzzled and dazed as 
to how the higher powers are going to 
knock such a hard problem into your thick 
brains. In short, you wind up by feeling 
like a blockhead. 

I would add, that by you I do not refer 
to that hardened class of sinners who re- 
fuse to believe in the existence of a God 
and call the Bible a myth. They are 
popularly termed skeptics and pride them- 
selves on their non-religious faculties. 
But should, by chance, this little book fall 
into their hands, I pray that it may be 
the means of lifting their souls to God. 



True Spirit Return 73 

But I have drifted a little from my sub- 
ject. I will handle skeptics later on. 

I was preparing to say that the average 
person figures time past from some defi- 
nite date, either historical, astronomical, 
geological or Biblical. 

The general masses of people, as a 
rule, either consciously or unconsciously, 
thoughtfully, or unthoughtfully, reckon 
time past from the creation of the earth, 
spoken of in the first chapter of Genesis, 
which shows the wonderful power and 
handiwork of God. 

In the beginning God created the heaven 
and earth. 

And the earth was without form and 
void, and darkness ivas upon the face of 
the deep, and the spirit of God moved 
upon the face of the waters. 

And God said, Let there be light, and 
there was light. 

And God saw the light, that it was good 
and God divided the light from the dark- 
ness. 

And God called the light Bay, and the 
darkness he called Night, and the evening 
and the morning were the first day. 



74 True Spirit Return 

And God said, Let there he a firmament 
in the midst of the waters, and let it 
divide the waters from the waters. 

And God made the firmament and di- 
vided the waters which were under the 
firmament from the waters which were 
above the firmament, and it was so. 

And God called the firmament Heaven, 
and the evening and the morning were 
the second day. — Genesis i, 1-8. 

I wish to say that thus it was that God 
made seven days, but Biblical students as 
well as geological and astronomical schol- 
ars tell us that these days referred to in 
the first chapter of Genesis are not twen- 
ty-four-hour days, but each day covers a 
period of one thousand years or more. 

But the Holy Book says that God com- 
pleted His work in six days, and rested on 
the seventh day, and blessed it, and made 
it holy. 

Thus the heavens and the earth were 
finished and all the host of them. 

And on the seventh day, God ended his 
work which he had made, and he rested 
on the seventh day from all his work, 
which he had made. 



True Spirit Return 75 

And God blessed the seventh day and 
sanctified it; because that in it he had 
rested from all his work which God cre- 
ated and made. — Genesis ii, 1-3. 

So this is how and why we observe a 
Sabbath. Bnt this day of rest was changed 
later on to the first day in the week, 
and is observed as snch by the majority 
of people. 

But there are a few religions classes 
who still retain the seventh day as their 
Sabbath. 

To return to my subject, when God had 
made the earth habitable, then He created 
man in His own image and placed him in 
a beautiful home to live, known as the 
Garden of Eden. 

And God said. Let us make man in our 
image after our likeness; and let them 
have dominion over the fish of the sea. 
and over the foivl of the air, and over 
the cattle and over all the earth, and over 
every creeping thing that creepeth upon 
the earth. 

So God created man in his own image, 
in the image of God, created he him, male 
and female created he them. 



76 True Spirit Return 

And God blessed them, and God said 
unto them. Be fruitful and multiply, and 
replenish the earth, and subdue it; and 
have dominion over the fish of the sea, 
and over the fowl of the air, and over 
every living thing that moveth upon the 
earth. — Genesis i, 26-28. 

We all know the story of the serpent 
and how he tempted them, and how they 
listened to his sly whisperings, and 
yielded to his advice, and consequently 
were driven from the Garden of Eden by 
God their Maker. 

He then told them that for their dis- 
obedience they must earn their bread by 
the sweat of their brow and for this sin 
they must surely die. 

And the Lord God commanded the man, 
saying, Of every tree of the Garden thou 
may est freely eat; 

But of the tree of the knowledge of 
good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; 
for in the day that thou eatest thereof 
thou shalt surely die. 

— Genesis ii, 16, 17. 

And ever since that time you have been 
working hard, and also constantly tempted 



True Spirit Return 77 

by the .serpent, or devil as he is usually 
called, and ever and anon the death angel 
has hovered around your door. 

The Holy Book tells us that God cre- 
ated us from the dust of the earth in His 
own image, but our punishment for sin is 
that our bodies return to the dust from 
which they were made. 

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat 
bread, for out of it wast thou taken; for 
dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou 
return. — Genesis iii, 19. 

And so it has been from time imme- 
morial that these sacred, solemn words 
have always been said when performing 
the rites of our dead — the words that 
struck such a cold chill and dreary sad- 
ness to our hearstrings, words that echoed 
through our souls like a funeral knell, 
"for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt 
thou return." Genesis iii, 19. 

But when Spiritualism has gained bet- 
ter control over the word there will not be 
felt the bitter heartache that we have ex- 
perienced in the past over giving up our 
loved ones at the grave. Even now, since 
Spiritualism has gained partial control of 



78 True Spirit Return 

the earth, the pangs of sorrow at the de- 
parture of our dead are not nearly so 
great as they once were. 

I refer especially to those who fully un- 
derstand this glorious doctrine of Spirit- 
ualism. They will understand that fare- 
well at the grave is not farewell. They 
will know that the spirit form can soon 
return to comfort, cheer and strengthen 
them in their pilgrimage through life. 

We have, in the forepart of the subject, 
"The Power of God and His Spiritual 
Forces," attempted to prove the vast 
eternity of God's life, which is so great 
as to be beyond our comprehension. 

It is enough to say that God has lived 
forever in the past. He still exists in the 
present, and He shall live forever in the 
future. 

It is a subject that is almost as broad 
and deep as eternity itself. It would take 
volumes, and I would needs write until 
midnight for many countless nights should 
I be able to tell of all the wonderful 
power of an almighty God. So let us dip 
lightly on the various points in the his- 
tory of God as given to us in His Holy 
Book. 



True Spirit Return 79 

In His creation of the earth and the 
firmament and all the solar system, as 
well as the creation of man and all living 
creatures, we have a marvelous example 
of His skilled and wonderful handiwork. 

The preparation of earth for man and 
the making of a beantifnl garden, known 
as the Garden of Eden, for him to dwell 
in, shows the wondrous love of God. 

But when man listened to the voice of 
the serpent and disobeyed his Maker, we 
have a sample of God's wrath, when He 
drove him and his companion out of the 
garden to earn their bread by the sweat 
of their brow. 

We have another illustration of God's 
anger and punishment for sin, when Cain 
killed his brother Abel. 

And when God asked Cain where his 
brother was, the murderer answered, 
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Genesis 
iv, 9. 

And he said, What hast thou done? The 
voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto 
me from the ground. — Genesis iv, 10. 

This is a sample of the avenging spirit 
which has been previously referred to in 



80 True Spirit Return 

this book in my subject on "The Power of 
the Avenging Spirit.' ' 

Thus it has been from ages back up to 
the present time that the blood of the 
slain cries out upon the slayer and a 
curse from God has not ceased to rest 
upon the murderer. 

And now art thou cursed from the earth 
which hath opened her mouth to receive 
thy brother's blood from thy hand. 

When thou tillest the ground it shall not 
henceforth yield unto thee her strength; 
a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be 
in the earth. — Genesis iv, 11, 12. 

And so it is that we have countless in- 
stances throughout the Bible of the power 
of God's love and wrath so close to each 
other that you could rightly call them 
parallel. 

"We have an example of God's almighty 
love and anger combined in the instance 
of Noah and the flood. 



True Spirit Return 81 



NOAH AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF 

LOVE AND WRATH COMBINED 

OF AN ALL POWERFUL GOD 

But this presents to us an instance 
where God shows love to only one man 
and his family, as well as the birds and 
beasts and other living creatures that God 
bade him save in numbers of twos and 
sevens. 

But God's anger was against the rest 
of the world, for, with the exception of 
Noah and his family, the people had 
grown very wicked. 

And God saw that the wickedness of 
man was great in the earth and that every 
imagination of the thoughts of his heart 
was only evil continually. — Genesis vi, 5. 

And the Lord said, I will destroy man, 
whom I have created, from the face of 
the earth; both man, and beast, and the 
creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; 
for it repenteth me that I have made 
them. 



82 True Spirit Return 

But Noah found grace in the eyes of 
the Lord. — Genesis vi, 7, 8. 

So, as you remember, God sent a flood 
which covered the whole world, even to 
the highest mountain tops; and every liv- 
ing creature, including man, was de- 
stroyed, except Noah and his family and 
animals, fowls and insects. 

The flood lasted forty days and nights, 
but Noah and his folks were unharmed, 
for they were good people and obeyed 
God, so their Maker loved them and 
spared their lives out of all the wicked 
ones that were destroyed. He com- 
manded him to build an ark to live in 
until the flood had passed away, and also 
showed him how and what size to make it, 
and even told him what kind of wood to 
use. And, as you well remember, when 
Noah wanted to discover if the land was 
dry he sent out a dove. 

Now listen, children, grown as well as 
otherwise, for I wish to say that God had 
planted an extra amount of brains in this 
little feathered creature's head, and he 
was possessed with a vast amount of 
wisdom and knew just exactly what to do. 



True Spirit Return 83 

When the waters had abated sufficiently 
for his tiny bill to pluck an olive leaf, he 
did so, and carried it back to Noah. And 
then the man knew it would not be long 
before they could leave the ark. 

Seven days later Noah sent him out 
again, and when the dove discovered that 
there was a dry resting place for the 
sole of his little feet, he returned not to 
Noah, and the man knew that the land 
was dry and he opened up the doors of 
his ark and found that it was true. And 
once more they stepped out onto earth, 
and they did not forget to drop down on 
their knees and give thanks to God for 
their safe deliverance. 

God was so well pleased with them that 
He promised never more to send a flood 
that would engulf the whole world, and 
as a symbol of His promise He placed 
the rainbow in the sky, which often ap- 
pears after storms or heavy rains, as a 
reminder of that promise made long ages 
ago by our heavenly Father to His faith- 
ful followers, Noah and his family. 

Just here we have a noble example and 
lesson of how our Creator keeps and 
holds sacred a promise, for never again 



84 True Spirit Return 

since that flood in Noah's time have 
mighty waters engulfed the whole world, 
as can be testified by geologists, as well 
as Biblical students. 

We find many more instances of God's 
fulfillments of promises in the Bible, for 
example, in the twenty-first and twenty- 
second verses of Genesis we find this com- 
forting promise in these beautiful words: 

And the Lord smelled a siveet savour; 
and the Lord said in his heart, I will not 
again curse the ground any more for 
man's sake; for the imagination of man's 
heart is evil from his youth; neither will 
I again smite any more everything living, 
as I have done. 

While the earth remaineth, seedtime 
and harvest, and cold and heat, and sum- 
mer and winter, and day and night, shall 
not cease. — Genesis viii, 21, 22. 

This promise was made immediately 
after the flood, and we all know how 
truly our heavenly Father has kept that 
promise. For have we not the seasons as 
they once were in the days of Noah? 

Winter, with its mantle of snow in the 
colder climates. Spring, with its fresh 



True Spirit Return 85 

green tintings and fruit blossoms every- 
where. Summer, with her wreaths of 
golden sunbeams, and brilliant flowers. 
Autumn in all her glory of crimson and 
gold. 

These beautiful seasons God has given 
us because He loves us and holds His 
promise sacred. 

Do we appreciate His great love and 
kindness? No; I fear not, and it grieves 
Him that this is true. 

Do we, like Noah, fall on our knees 
and pray, thanking our Creator for His 
many blessings 1 No ! I fear not. We 
can well draw a lesson from our fore- 
father, Noah. 

But let us pass on, for we have tarried 
long enough with Noah, and we are hard 
pressed for time. 

But forgive me, little dove! Just one 
word to the world I would add concerning 
your noble history since the days of the 
flood. 

You retained the brains that God had 
given you, and through all the countless 
ages past you have shown the same wis- 
dom that you portrayed for Noah. 

You have been placed in many trusted 



86 True Spirit Return 

and dangerous positions, but you have 
never failed. You have always carried a 
brave heart as well as a wise head. 

So you won for yourself the honorary 
title of messenger bird, which you still 
hold through countless ages of eternity, 
in the realm of heaven. 

But let us be traveling. 



True Spirit Return 87 



KING SOLOMON AS REVEALING 

THE WONDERFUL POWER OF 

PRAYER TO AN ALMIGHTY 

GOD 

Would you mind if we stop at the mar- 
ble palace of King Solomon, son of King 
David? 

Here we have an illustration of the 
power of prayer, combined with God's 
love, and a wondrous sample of promises 
fulfilled by our heavenly Father. 

When King David died the throne 
passed into the hands of his son, Solo- 
mon. This kingdom extended over all 
Israel, and was a mighty one. 

David was a good man and a good king, 
and was beloved by his people. He walked 
with God, and kept His commandments. 
So the Lord greatly loved David. 

Solomon had been taught by his father 
the ways of right living, and when he 
was grown he did not depart from them. 

So it was that Solomon, like his father, 
found favor in the eyes of God and was 
loved by Him. 



88 True Spirit Return 

But when at the death of David, his 
father, Solomon fell heir to the throne, 
he grew exceedingly timid. He felt great- 
ly his inability to rnle and guide wisely 
such a mighty nation. So he knelt in 
prayer to God. 

His petition was as humble as a little 
child's, but it contained the wisdom of 
Solomon himself. For he prayed not for 
silver or gold, or riches itself, nor yet 
for long life, nor even for the lives of 
his enemies, but for great wisdom and 
good judgment to guide and rule a mighty 
people. 

And these are the words of Solomon's 
prayer, as found in the seventh, eighth 
and ninth verses of First Kings, third 
chapter : 

" And now, Lord, my God, thou hast 
made thy servant king, instead of David 
my father; and I am but a little child; I 
know not how to go out or come in. 

And thy servant is in the midst of thy 
people which thou hast chosen, a great 
people, that cannot be numbered nor 
counted for multitude. 

Give therefore thy servant an under- 



True Spirit Return 89 

standing heart to judge thy people, that 
I may discern between good and bad; for 
who is able to judge this thy so great a 
people? — 1 Kings iii, 7-9. 

And God was so well pleased with Solo- 
mon's prayer, that he asked neither for 
riches, long life or the lives of his ene- 
mies, but wisdom instead, that the al- 
mighty Father promised to give him not 
only what he had prayed for, but more 
besides. And so it was God bestowed not 
only great wisdom upon Solomon, but 
immense wealth, and long life besides. 

We have God's answer to Solomon's 
prayer in the twelfth to the fourteenth 
verses in the third chapter of first Kings : 

Behold, I have done according to thy 
words! hoi I have given thee a wise 
and understanding heart; so that there 
was none like thee before thee, neither 
after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 

And I have also given thee that which 
thou hast not asked, both riches and 
honor: so that there shall not be any 
among the king's like unto thee all thy 
days. 

And if thou wilt walk in my ways to 



90 True Spirit Return 

keep my statutes and my commandments, 
as thy father David did walk, then I will 
lengthen thy days. — 1 Kings iii, 12-14. 

Here we should draw a lesson from the 
humble prayer of Solomon, and might it 
not be that if we should show the same 
humility and faith that this great man 
portrayed, God might bestow upon us 
some wonderful blessing that we little 
expect 1 

Solomon recognized his Creator at all 
times, whether he wished for a blessing 
or not, and like Noah he never forgot to 
thank the Lord for his many gifts of 
kindness. 

I would say that God, as well as our 
spirit friends, like to be recognized and 
appreciated, and we can draw more help 
and guidance from them if we treat them 
thus. 

The trouble with half of us is we don't 
pray to the Lord unless we wish a favor 
from Him, and often our prayer is ac- 
companied by complaint, or sometimes we 
fail to pray at all. 

Solomon recognized God at all times 
and the Lord rewarded him accordingly, 



True Spirit Return 91 

and never failed to keep His promise to 
a dot. 

Solomon became the wisest king and 
man in the world. The Bible tells us that 
there was none so wise as him, neither 
before or after. His wisdom exceeded 
that of the sages of later date and the 
fame of it spread far and wide over all 
the countries of the east. 

Kings, qneens and princesses came from 
far and near to hear the wonderful words 
of wisdom spoken by the lips of this 
great man. 

His wisdom embraced all subjects, even 
to the knowledge of trees and plants in 
the forest, down to the tiniest fern. He 
was equally informed concerning all ani- 
mals, from the beasts of the forest down 
to the household pets; also birds and 
butterflies to the smallest of insects. 

And of the flowers, from the stately 
lily and queenly rose to the modest violet 
and sweet forget-me-not, even to the 
flowers that ran wild in the fields and 
woods, King Solomon knew them all and 
delighted in relating their history from 
beginning to end. 

Just here we might pause to learn an- 



92 True Spirit Return 

other lesson from this remarkable man. 
This famous king of renowned wisdom 
thought not himself too great to listen to 
the voice of nature, and was an earnest 
student of her marvelous teachings. Stay 
close to the heart of nature, and you will 
stay close to the heart of God. 

But let us return to the palace where 
King Solomon reigns in all his magnifi- 
cent glory; where kings, queens, nations, 
and masses of people have come to hear- 
ken to the speech of one man and to lay 
at his feet rich gifts of gold and silver 
and jewels of every kind. 

And as this grand but humble king had 
prayed, God gave him power to rule his 
people with great wisdom and justice, 
and was loved by them. With all of his 
power, wealth and renown, Solomon did 
not forget God nor His commandments, 
and the Lord gave him long life as 
promised. 

His riches grew from day to day, until 
his wealth exceeded that of any king be- 
fore or after him. Still, Solomon remem- 
bered God, for with a portion of his 
wealth he built a temple to the Lord, the 
beauty and grandeur of which were never 



True Spirit Return 93 

seen before, and placed in its golden altar 
the Ark of the Covenant. 

Its walls were inlaid with gold, and at 
the entrance of its massive doors were 
two chernbims of gold, whose wings over- 
laped, and within were two other chern- 
bims of gold, and there was a golden 
chain dividing the altar from the remain- 
der of the temple. 

The pillars were of stone, and npon 
them were carved the most beautiful de- 
signs of ferns and flowers, and within 
could be found the dark green palms in 
luxuriant growth. 

Out of respect to God this beautiful 
temple was built in silence during the 
seven years that it took to erect this 
wonderful structure. There was not heard 
the sound of neither hammer nor an axe, 
or a hatchet. 

Solomon had employed the most skilled 
of workmen, and he had them to hew, 
carve and prepare everything miles away 
from the temple, and then hauled to 
where it was being erected. 

When the temple was completed Solo- 
mon called in all the people of Israel, and 
they had a great meeting which was 



94 True Spirit Return 

known as the dedication of this sacred 
place, and the king had put on the altar 
two golden candlesticks, and all of the 
gold and silver cups that had belonged 
to his father, David. 

The king exhorted his people to wor- 
ship constantly in this beautiful temple 
that the Lord had given them and to have 
no other gods before them but the One 
above. 

And these were the words that Solomon 
prayed: 

And Solomon stood before the altar of 
the Lord in the presence of all the congre- 
gation of Israel, and spread forth his 
hands toward heaven. 

And he said, Lord, God of Israel, there 
is no God like thee, in heaven above or on 
earth beneath, who keepest covenant and 
mercy with thy servants that walk before 
thee with all their heart: 

— 1 Kings viii, 22, 23. 

When Solomon had completed the tem- 
ple of the Lord he then began building his 
own palace, which, when finished, was the 
most magnificent palace in the world. 



True Spirit Return 95 

There was nothing to compare with it in 
splendor, grandenr and size. 

It was made of stone that was white 
like marble. Its halls and courts and 
many of its rooms were inlaid with gold 
and some of its colossal pillars were made 
of brass, while others were made of stone 
with designs of lilies carved npon them. 

Golden chains of massive size could be 
seen in different parts of the palace, and 
were used as ornaments, and the king's 
throne was of gold, and was set with 
precious stones. 

And his swimming pool! Oh, my! 
wouldn't the kiddies of today open their 
eyes, and the grown-ups, too? For this 
pool was large enough to accommodate 
one thousand people. 

It was made of white marble and shaped 
exactly like an enormous lily and was sup- 
ported by twelve brass oxen; three with 
their heads turned to the north, three with 
their heads to the south, three with their 
heads to the east, and three with their 
heads to the west. There was a circular 
flight of steps carved of white marble all 
around this swimming pool. 

Its waters gleamed in the sun like a 



96 True Spirit Return 

golden sea, for its basin was lined with 
some kind of metal resembling brass. It 
was called by King Solomon and his peo- 
ple the Molten Sea, and was recognized as 
the most be ant if nl swimming pool in the 
East, and never before or after has there 
been known to exist one so wonderful in 
splendor, size or originality. 

The palace took thirteen years to bnild. 

King Solomon lived a long and nseful 
life, as God had promised him, and finally 
died, and was laid to rest with his fathers. 

His father, King David, had been loved 
dnring his reign, and mourned for at his 
death. But King Solomon! There was 
no king loved, honored and respected by 
his own people, and even all of the eastern 
world, and never was a king so moaned 
for either before or after. For kings, 
queens and nations mourned over the 
death of this great man. 

But let us leave him in all of his silent 
grandeur. For we well know, that as we 
stand at the sepulcher of this man, we 
behold before us a monument of truth, 
justice and godliness, combined with 
power, intellect and wisdom. 

But let us leave him in his lonely tomb 



True Spirit Return 97 

of mournful splendor. Let us turn away 
from the marble palace of glorious beauty, 
and marvelous and sublime workmanship 
of brass, gold, silver and precious stones, 
and follow Moses up a lonely mountain 
trail. 



98 True Spirit Return 



MOSES AS AN ILLUSTRATION OF 

PROMISES FULFILLED, AND 

PROTECTIVE LOVE OF 

AN OMNIPOTENT GOD 

What a contrast to the wondrous and 
dazzling splendor that onr eyes have so 
recently been gazing npon. 

What a difference from feasting and 
plenty, crowds and merriment, we turn 
to Moses fasting on a lonely monntain-top, 
surrounded by a dreary wilderness. 

Forty days and nights had Moses fasted 
and prayed, but on the last day he hears 
a voice from the bushes nearby command- 
ing him to make an ark and to hew two 
tables of stone, and that He, God, would 
write with His own fingers the ten com- 
mandments; and he expected Moses, his 
brother Aaron, and the children of Israel 
to follow and obey them from generation 
to generation. 

God told Moses the blessings that would 
accompany them if they would hearken 
unto these commandments and walk in 
His statutes. They must have no other 



True Spirit Return 99 

gods before them, and they must have 
more faith in His power to deliver them 
into the promised land. 

They must not be so rebellious and 
stiff-necked a people, and God commanded 
Moses to remind them of the many mir- 
acles He had allowed his brother Aaron 
and himself to perform in order to save 
them from hunger, thirst and the giants, 
while passing through the wilderness. 

He told this good prophet to tell these 
people that He was a just God, and that 
He had promised their forefathers, Abra- 
ham, Isaac and Jacob, that the Israelites 
should be released from their state of 
bondage, under King Pharaoh, in the land 
of Egypt ,and taken to a country of free- 
dom and plenty — a land that should be 
theirs to rule and live in forever and 
ever, as long as they observed His teach- 
ings and He, the Lord, was a God of His 
word, mighty and powerful, and would 
not fail in one of His promises. 

Just here we find another faithful ob- 
servance of God's promises, mingled with 
love, tolerance and patience towards an 
impatient and rebellious people, as well 



100 True Spirit Return 

as wrath towards them when they sinned, 
but forgiveness when they repented. 

When the voice of the Lord had ceased 
to speak, tongues of fire and clouds of 
smoke darted forth from where the Lord 
had stood, and when the smoke had 
cleared away, Moses went to the spot and 
found two tables of stone, with the ten 
commandments written upon them. 

Making an ark, as God had commanded 
him, he placed them in it, and started 
down the mountain-side with the ark upon 
his shoulders, to deliver the message that 
God had given him to the children of 
Israel. 

But first he reminded them of another 
time when God had ordered him, Moses, 
to go up on the mountain-top, and after 
fasting forty days and nights He would 
write the ten commandments on two 
tables of stone that he had hewn, and 
they should be placed in the ark, and the 
Israelites should keep them and read and 
obey them, also they should carry them 
into the promised land, where they should 
be put in the Holy Temple, Where their 
laws could be taught from generation to 
generation. 




TAKING A MESSAGE 



True Spirit Return 101 

He also reminded them of how they had 
treated the Lord in His absence and how 
impatient they had become, and how 
donbtfnl they had been of the Lord's 
power and intentions to deliver them 
safely out of the wilderness. 

And they had murmured greatly, and 
complained that Moses had brought them 
into the wilderness to starve and to die 
and God had deserted them, and when 
Moses found them, they had gathered to- 
gether all of the golden bracelets, ear- 
rings and rings that belonged to their 
wives, and melting them together made 
a golden calf to worship in place of God. 

"When Moses had seen what they were 
up to, he was so angry that he dashed the 
tables of stone upon the ground, and they 
fell into pieces, and the prophet uttered 
words of condemnation and sorrow, and 
in his grief refused to eat for another 
forty days and nights. 

Then was heard a mighty voice from 
heaven, which made the earth tremble, 
and the children of Israel also, and these 
were the words they heard in tones of 
wrath : 



102 True Spirit Return 

Thou shalt have none other gods before 
me. 

Thou shalt not make thee any graven 
image, or any likeness of anything that 
is in heaven above, or that is in the earth 
beneath, or that is in the waters beneath 
the earth. 

Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto 
them, nor serve them; for I the Lord, thy 
God am a jealous God, visiting the iniqui- 
ty of the fathers upon the children unto 
the third and fourth generation of them 
that hate me. 

And showing mercy unto thousands of 
them that love me and keep my command- 
ments. — Deuteronomy v, 7-10. 

Then the Lord threatened, in His anger, 
to destroy them for their disobedience 
and idolatry, bnt Moses felt a spark of 
pity suddenly kindling in His heart for 
the children of Israel, and dropping on 
his knees, he beseeched pleadingly that 
God spare His people, using as a 
strong inducement the fact that their ene- 
mies the Egyptians, would laugh in deri- 
sion, and point their fingers in joy at 



True Spirit Return 103 

any calamity that might befall them be- 
fore reaching the promised land. 

Here again we have an example of the 
power of prayer, for the Lord's heart was 
softened and He forgave and spared His 
wayward children. 

Then, when they told Moses that they 
remembered, and would profit by their 
past sins and promised to worship God 
and keep His commandments, the prophet 
delivered God's message. 

He spoke with force, and they listened 
in hushed and respectful silence. 

' ' Once more the Lord has written for us 
His Ten Commandments on these tables 
of stone," said Moses. 

Let us treasure them, and see that no 
harm befalls them. Teach them to your 
children, keep them in your hearts, copy 
them and hang them by your firesides, 
on your doors, on your gates, and place 
them on the walls of your schools that 
all may know the laws and wishes of their 
Creator. 

Blessed are they that honor and obey 
these commandments, and long shall be 
their lives in the land which the Lord thy 
God givest thee. 



104 True Spirit Return 

Then Moses described to them the 
beauties of the land of Canaan, the 
promised land, the land that flows with 
milk and honey; the country where deep 
wells and clear springs are found without 
the digging; where homes are built with- 
out the building; where fields of barley 
and corn are planted without the planting, 
and the hillsides abound in sheep and cat- 
tle of every kind and the rocks in the 
mountain-tops can be changed into gold, 
silver, iron and precious stones. 

Moses told the children of Israel that 
all this wealth would be theirs if they 
would but obey the commandments of God. 
But should they disregard these sacred 
laws the wrath of a mighty God would 
fall upon them, and instead of being the 
ruling and most powerful nation in the 
world they would shrink away to nothing, 
and the fingers of scorn would be pointed 
at them as the people cursed by God and 
all the plagues that had visited the Egyp- 
tians would fall heavily upon them. The 
children of Israel bowed their heads in 
silence and promised to obey God. 

But let us turn back the pages of time 
and peep into the earlier history of the 



True Spirit Return 105 

Israelites, back even to where Moses was 
a baby in the bulrushes and, later on, 
when he had grown to be a man and 
prophet of the Lord and was also ap- 
pointed by God to lead his people out of 
Egypt to the land that flowed with milk 
and honey. 

There is not a prettier story in the 
Bible than the story of Moses in the bul- 
rushes, and is known by every child in 
the Christian world, and shows the won- 
derful and miraculous protection of a 
powerful God that he unceasingly had 
held over him since babyhood. 

"When Moses was a tiny baby there 
ruled in Egypt, where he was born, a hard 
cruel king, named Pharaoh. 

He hated the children of Israel, of 
which nationality little Moses belonged, 
for he could see that they were growing 
into a powerful and mighty nation, and he 
feared them that they might some day 
rise in battle and conquer, and rule in the 
land of Egypt. 

He could also see that they were God's 
favored people, and he was jealous of 
them. So he did all in his power to make 
it unpleasant for them, and to crush and 



106 True Spirit Return 

break their spirits, and to shorten their 
lives by giving them hard and rough 
tasks daily in the fields and at the making 
of bricks. 

Bnt while they were worn, weary and 
heart-sick over the way that they were 
treated, still, the nation continned to 
grow. So Pharaoh decided to have all of 
the boy babies that belonged to the He- 
brew families killed, bnt ordered his men 
to let all of the girl babies live. 

So when the mother of little Moses 
heard of this, she was greatly grieved 
and frightened. So she managed to hide 
him aronnd her home nntil he was three 
months old, and then fearfnl lest the king 
shonld find him there she bethonght her- 
self of a safer place, that she might con- 
ceal the little one from the king's crnel 
clntches. 

He was a beantifnl child, and her heart 
was wrapped np in him, and she conld not 
bear the thoughts of losing him, so she 
placed the baby in an ark, and covered it 
with pitch and tar. Then, going down 
where a stream of water flowed, she placed 
the ark, with the little one in it, in among 
the bnlrnshes and flaglilies, close to the 



True Spirit Return 107 

bank, but he was securely hid from view, 
unless some one chose to go into the water. 

The mother then left her little girl, the 
baby's sister, to watch that no harm be- 
fell her brother. And lo, and behold, who 
should come down to dip her feet into this 
clear, sparkling stream but King Phar- 
oah's daughter, with her train of maid- 
ens, and she saw this lovely child in his 
little ark floating around among the bul- 
rushes and flaglilies. 

" Bring him to me," she said to her 
maidens. 

And when they brought the child to her 
and she had looked at him she said, "He 
is a Hebrew baby." 

But when the king's daughter continued 
to gaze upon Moses, he wept, and her 
heart was stirred with pity for this tiny 
little creature. 

"Bring him to my palace," she said to 
the maidens, "for I wish to care for him, 
but first find me a Hebrew woman who 
can nurse and watch over the baby, and I 
will adopt him as my own son, and I will 
pay wages to the one who cares for him." 

And note the wisdom which God placed 
in the sister's answer, and the wondrous 



108 True Spirit Return 

protection of a divine power as well as a 
sister's love for her mother and her little 
brother, when she answered the king's 
daughter, thus: 

"Did yon say," questioned the little 
girl, "that you wished a Hebrew woman 
to nurse the baby? I will get you one." 

"Go!" commanded the king's daughter. 

The child went and got the baby's 
mother, but only she herself, the baby, 
and his parents were wise to this, for the 
princess never dreamed that this woman 
was even related to the little fellow. 

"Take this child and nurse and care for 
it, and I will pay you well for your serv- 
ices," said the princess, holding out the 
baby to the Hebrew woman, and joyfully 
the mother took her own child, glad that 
its life had been spared, and that she need 
not be separated from him. 

And the king's daughter named the 
little Hebrew baby Moses, for as she said, 
"that means I drew him up out of the 
water." 

Thus it was that Moses was raised in 
the king's palace, and his mother re- 
mained with him until he was a good-sized 
boy, and then she returned to her home. 



True Spirit Return 109 

But Moses stayed at the palace until he 
was grown, and then he returned to his 
own people. 

When he saw how his brethren were be- 
ing treated by the Egyptians he was sore- 
ly grieved, and once when he was walking 
along the road he saw one of the task- 
masters severely beating an Israelite 
without cause, so Moses looked to the 
right and to the left, and seeing no one in 
sight slew the man and hid his body in 
the sand. 

On another occasion Moses saw one of 
the Egyptians tying two of his brethren 
to a stake, and he rebuked the man, ask- 
ing him, "Why do you so mistreat people 
who work so hard!" and the man an- 
swered him, "Who are you! Are you a 
God or a judge that you have a right to 
tell me what to do! Perhaps you would 
kill me, too, as you did the other task- 
master," and when he said this, Moses 
was afraid and said to himself, "everyone 
knows that I have killed this man and the 
king will kill me." 

So Moses made his escape to the land 
of Midian, and sat down by a well to rest 
and to think. When King Pharaoh heard 



110 True Spirit Return 

what Moses had done he was angry, and 
sent ont men to search and to kill him, 
bnt Moses was guarded by the almighty 
power of God's protection, and they 
conld not find him. 

And when Moses had rested by the well 
for a time, out came seven fair damsels, 
and the fairest of them he picked out for 
a wife; bnt, mind yon, in his heart only, 
for he had to ask her father first. 

Bnt he was very polite, and helped them 
to draw water for their cattle. When 
they went in the house they told their 
father about the kind stranger who had 
helped them to draw water. 

"Why don't you call him into supper V 
asked the father. 

So the girls called Moses into the house, 
and this was the beginning of the young- 
man's courtship, and it was not long be- 
fore Moses married the girl of his choice, 
with the father's consent, for he was well 
liked by him. 

When Moses had been with his wife's 
people only a short time, sad reports came 
to him of the cruel way in which King 
Pharaoh and his men were treating the 
children of Israel. 



True Spirit Return 111 

Matters were getting worse with them, 
and it was almost more than they conld 
bear, so Moses prayed God to deliver His 
people from their state of bondage, and 
out of the hands of the Egyptians. 

God had already discovered how over- 
bearing and cruel the Egyptians were 
treating His chosen people, and his wrath 
kindled strong against them, and He was 
determined to show His mighty power 
through signs, wonders and miracles, that 
would fill their souls with terror. 

The Lord decided to choose Moses and 
his brother Aaron, to perform these mir- 
acles, and to lead the children of Israel 
out of Egypt through the wilderness, and 
into the promised land. So one day while 
Moses was watching his father-in-law's 
flock, God spoke to him. "Moses," He 
said, "Moses, where art thou?" 

"Here I am, Lord," answered Moses. 
"What can I do for Thee?" 

And Moses looked and saw that from 
whence the voice proceeded there were 
clouds of smoke and fire, but the bush 
that was in it did not burn, and he gazed 
in wonder, and the voice spoke again: 
"Moses, take off thy shoes for thou art 



112 True Spirit Return 

on Holy ground, thou art in the presence 
of the Lord." 

"Yes, Lord," replied the young man, 
obeying God's command. 

"Moses," said the Lord, "I have seen 
the sorrow and distress of your people, 
and I have compassion on them, and wish 
to appoint your and your brother Aaron to 
lead them out of their troubles to the land 
that flows with milk and honey. Go to 
King Pharaoh and tell him that your peo- 
ple wish to offer up sacrifices unto God in 
the wilderness." 

"But who am I that such a responsible 
and difficult task should be placed on me? 
Would King Pharaoh hearken unto my 
voice?" 

"I will make you as a God before King 
Pharaoh," replied the Lord. "I will 
anoint you and your brother as my pro- 
phets and give you the power to work 
many miracles before his eyes, that he 
will know that I am Lord, the supreme 
God. With the rod that is in thy hand I 
will enable thee to work many wonders," 
and God instructed Moses what to do, and 
told him to teH Aaron of his plans. 
"First, turn your rod into a serpent, if 



True Spirit Return 113 

the king refuses to listen to you," com- 
manded the Lord. 

So Moses got his brother Aaron, and 
together they went to King Pharaoh and 
delivered God's message to him. 

"Who are you, and who is the Lord, 
that He should require of me that I 
should take my men from work by the 
thousands out of the fields, and from 
making bricks?" was the infamous an- 
swer of this wicked king. "Show me a 
proof of His power." 

This was what Moses wished him to 
say. "Come hither," demanded the 
prophet to his brother Aaron, "take this 
rod and show the king the almighty power 
of God by changing this rod into a ser- 
pent. ' ' 

Then Aaron took the rod and stretching 
forth his arm demanded that the rod take 
the form of a snake, and immediately the 
rod fell from his hand a living, writhing 
serpent, crawling at his feet. 

But while the king was amazed he was 
stubborn, and tried not to show his aston- 
ishment. "Bring in my sorcerers and 
see if they can do the same thing with 
their enchantments," demanded Pharaoh 



114 True Spirit Return 

to his men, and the magicians of Egypt 
were brought before the throne, and 
commanded to perform the same trick 
that the prophets had done, and when the 
wizards turned their enchantments into 
snakes, the king laughed in scorn. 
"See," sneered King Pharaoh, "your 
power is no greater than theirs." But 
when Aaron's snake ate up the magicians' 
snakes the king was frightened. 

"Go," he said to Moses and Aaron, 
"and take your people to worship their 
God in the wilderness, but first change 
this serpent into a rod again." 

But no sooner had the prophets gotten 
out of sight than King Pharaoh's heart 
was hardened, and he determined not 
only to break his promise to free the 
Israelites, but to put double the task up- 
on their shoulders, and to be still more 
cruel to them. 

And when Moses heard of this he was 
greatly troubled and discouraged, and he 
complained to the Lord that matters were 
getting worse instead of better, and God 
told him not to let that worry him, for He 
would permit the king's heart to become 
hardened, for that would give Him, the 



True Spirit Return 115 

Lord, an opportunity to show His power 
in signs and miracles, and every time 
King Pharaoh broke his promise or re- 
fused to free the children of Israel, He 
would send a horrible plague upon him 
and all the Egyptians, and it would come 
seeming through the hands of Aaron and 
himself, but these wicked people will learn 
that the hidden power comes from God. 

"All your miracles, signs and wonders 
you shall work with yonder rod that you 
hold in your hand," commanded God of 
Moses. "'Go again to King Pharaoh and 
demand release of your people, and if he 
refuse, all of the rivers, wells and springs 
of Egypt shall be turned to blood." 

So thus it was that Moses and Aaron 
returned to demand freedom for Israel 
from the King, but he refused and Moses 
bade his brother to stretch out his rod 
that the rivers, wells and springs might 
turn to blood, and immediately it was so, 
and the Egyptians had naught but blood 
to drink, and King Pharaoh called in his 
magicians to see if they could do likewise, 
and at their command all the waters in 
the lakes turned to blood and the fish died, 



116 True Spirit Return 

which made matters a thousand times 
worse. 

So for seven days it was thus, and King 
Pharaoh was compelled to call on the 
prophets to change the rivers and lakes 
of blood back into clear crystal water, 
again promising if they did so, he would 
permit the children of Israel to leave, and 
to worship their God in the wilderness. 

With one sweep of Aaron's rod, the 
waters resumed their normal state again. 
But it was the same old story; when the 
Israelites were ready to start on their 
journey he called them back. 

"What shall I do now, Lord?" asked 
Moses. 

"Send them a plague of frogs," an- 
swered the Lord. 

And Aaron stretched forth his rod, and 
frogs by the thousands came forth out of 
the ponds, rivers and creeks, and the 
earth was black with them. They came 
into the houses and hopped upon the beds 
and went into the pantries, on the tables 
and chairs and into the dough that was 
being kneaded into bread. 

Pharaoh sent for his sorcerers to see if 
they could perform the same trick, and 



True Spirit Return 117 

they brought forth frogs by the hundreds 
out of the wells and springs. 

4 'This is horrible," exclaimed King 
Pharaoh, "go quickly and get Moses and 
Aaron that they may remove these pests." 

"What do you wish of me!" asked 
Moses. 

"To remove these frogs," answered the 
king. 

' ' That you may lie to me again 1 ' ' asked 
Moses. "Know you that for every lie 
you give to the children of Israel, G-od 
will send you a plague?" 

"Upon my sacred word, I will not lie 
this time," replied Pharaoh. 

And Aaron stretched out his rod and 
all of the frogs in the land died, and a 
horrible .scent rose up from their dead 
bodies. But no sooner were their bodies 
gathered up, and thrown into the sea, 
than Pharaoh's heart was hardened again 
and he refused to let the Israelites go. 

"What next, Lord, shall I send him?" 
asked Moses. 

"A plague of flies," answered God. 

Then Aaron stretched forth his rod, 
and swarms of flies, by the million flew 
over the land and the air was black with 



118 True Spirit Return 

them. They flew into the houses and fell 
so thick and fast into the food that the 
Egyptians were unable to eat. Still, 
Pharaoh sent for his wizards to see if 
they could do likewise, and with their en- 
chantments they brought forth flies by the 
hundreds, and they came so thick and fast 
that the Egyptians were blinded by them, 
and again King Pharaoh was compelled 
to call on the prophets for help. 

' ' What now?" asked Moses, as he stood 
before the king. 

"I beg of thee to remove these flies,' ' 
answered Pharaoh, "for we can neither 
see nor eat for them." 

"When, tomorow?" asked Moses. 

"No; today," replied the king. 

"That you may glory over and deceive 
my people again?" question Moses. 

"I give my oath that I will not deceive 
the children of Israel again, ' ' replied King 
Pharaoh, "if you will only remove these 
flies." 

"Not today, but tomorrow I will be- 
seech the Supreme Euler to take away 
this curse from your paths," but no 
sooner were the Egyptians freed from 



True Spirit Return 119 

this plague than King Pharaoh repented 
of his promise. 

"Send them lice/' said the Lord to His 
prophets. And Aaron smote the dnst with 
his rod and it became as lice, and they 
were everywhere, even on man and beast, 
and King Pharaoh called in his wizards 
to see if they could do likewise, but they 
were unable to perform this miracle, and 
they became frightened. 

Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, 
This is the finger of God; and Pharaoh's 
heart was hardened, and he hearkened 
not unto them; as the Lord had said. 

— Exodus viii, 19. 

"What next, Lord?" asked Moses. 

"Send them boils from their head to 
their feet, both man and beast," said the 
Lord. 

So it was that the Egyptians were af- 
flicted with this terrible malady, and the 
magicians would not have been able to 
have gone to the king had he sent for 
them, for they could not walk for the boils 
that were on their heels. 

Thus it was. that one plague after an- 
other was sent to the Egyptians, and no 



120 True Spirit Return 

sooner had the Lord removed the curse 
than King Pharaoh would break his prom- 
ise to release the children of Israel; but 
in his distress he admitted to the al- 
mighty power of God; and his people, 
seeing the troubles that were besetting 
them, through the king's disobedience and 
deceit, beseeched him to let the children 
of Israel go, before they were all de- 
stroyed, but he would not even hearken to 
the voice of his people. 

So another plague was sent upon this 
wicked king, the plague of hail, which 
came with fire and rain, and peals of 
thunder which rent the air with such 
terrible force that man and cattle that 
were in the fields were killed and all of 
the barley and corn were destroyed and 
large branches of trees were broken and 
all vegetables were laid low. 

So the Lord was compelled to send an- 
other plague. What was left of the wheat, 
vegetation and shrubbery were eaten up 
by locusts, who came in millions and set- 
tled over the land of Egypt. 

Then King Pharaoh admitted to his 
own wickedness, and the omnipotence of 
God. Yet his heart was softened only for 



True Spirit Return 121 

a short time. "Cast a pall of darkness 
over the land/' commanded God, and so 
Moses ordered Aaron to raise his rod 
toward the heavens, which he did and im- 
mediately the blackness of midnight with- 
out moon or stars fell upon the earth, and 
the Egyptians were terrified and afraid 
to come ont of their homes. 

So once more Pharaoh was obliged to 
call on Moses for help, bnt no sooner had 
the darkness been lifted from the face of 
the earth, than Pharaoh's heart was 
hardened again. 

"What, Lord, shall we do next?" asked 
Moses. 

"We shall send one more calamity up- 
on them, and that shall be the last, then 
King Pharaoh will be glad to see you go. 
The first born shall die by My own hand, ' ' 
replied the Lord. "The first born of the 
Egyptian families, from the throne down 
to the humbest servant, even to the low- 
liest in the dungeon shall die. I will spare 
not even the first born of the cattle in the 
field. There shall be death in every 
family. ' ' 

Then God instructed Moses how to have 
the Passover supper, so that no harm 



122 True Spirit Return 

should befall the households of Israel. 
He told them to sprinkle blood on their 
gates and doorposts, so that when He, 
the Lord, came in the dead of night to 
destroy the firstborn He would know that 
was not an Egyptian family, and He 
would pass it by. Thus was constituted 
the feast of the Passover which is held 
sacred by many of the Israelites of today, 
as a memorial of God's power and won- 
derfully miraculous preservation from 
harm during this last calamity, as well as 
from the previous plagues of Egypt. 

But to return to our subject, "do these 
things that I have commanded thee/' said 
the Lord to Moses, "and I will not even 
let a dog wag his tail crooked at you." 

Then in the silent hours of night a form 
glided through the land with the sword 
of wrath in His mighty hand. There was 
weeping, wailing and moaning where the 
silent form had paused, but where the 
blood had been sprinkled there was no 
sorrow, no death, for the silent visage 
passed them by, but in the home whose 
doorpost no blood was sprinkled there 
was some one dead. 



True Spirit Return 123 

In all the homes of Egypt, death had 
come, and never before had there been 
such weeping. 

"Go," said King Pharaoh to Moses, 
"and tarry not, before we are all de- 
stroyed." 

So Moses and Aaron got the children 
of Israel together, so that they might pre- 
pare for their journey, and King Pharaoh 
did not attempt to stop them this time, 
and God softened the hearts of the Egyp- 
tian people and caused them to give the 
Israelites many presents to take with 
them, even to gold and silver, so that 
they were well supplied with everything 
for their trip. 

But when the children of Israel had 
gathered together all of their little ones, 
even to all of their cattle, and the bones 
of their grandfather Joseph, who had 
pleaded not to be left behind, but to have 
his body carried with them, and buried in 
the promised land, even then when King 
Pharaoh heard that the Israelites had 
gone he sent an army of men to pursue 
them. This is what God had said he 
would do and was what the Lord wished 



124 True Spirit Return 

of him, for He wanted to show His mighty 
power through the hands of His prophets 
by performing one more wonderful mir- 
acle, before the children of Israel had 
gone forever. 

The Israelites had entered the wilder- 
ness by the time that Pharaoh's men had 
reached them, and were camping by the 
Eed Sea, but when the king's army drew 
near, the Lord came down in a clond of 
fire, and settled upon the earth, separat- 
ing the Egyptians from the Israelites. 

And the men from Egypt were afraid. 
"This is the hand of God," they said. 
The cloud was dark on the side where 
Pharaoh's men were camping, but it was 
as light as day on the side of the Is- 
raelites, and they could see as plainly as 
if there was no night around them. 

This cloud, or pillar of fire, never de- 
serted them, but guided them through 
their long journey in the wilderness. 

And the Lord went before them by 
day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the 
way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to 
give them light; to go by day and night. 



True Spirit Return 125 

He took not away the pillar of the 
cloud by day, nor the pillar of ,fire by 
night, from before the people. 

—Exodus xiii, 21, 22. 

What could be more beautiful than this 
divine protection over the children of 
Israel that God exercised! We can have 
that same wonderful protection today, if 
we only trust him. 

But let us return to the Israelites by 
the shores of the Red Sea. On the mor- 
row God performed another miracle which 
filled the hearts of all with wonder. 

"How are we to cross the Eed Sea?" 
asked the Israelites, in distress, "without 
being drowned ?" 

"Lift thy rod upward and out over the 
waters of the Red Sea and they shali 
divide into high banks on either side, and 
it shall be so that the Israelites shall pass 
over on dry land," commanded a voice 
from the clouds. 

"Lift thy rod, Aaron," Moses said to 
his brother, "over the waters of the Red 
Sea that the children of Israel may pass." 

And Aaron did as he was told and the 
mighty waters of the Red Sea rolled back 



126 True Spirit Return 

in billowy waves and stood as a high wall 
on either side, and the Israelites passed 
through in safety with all of their little 
ones and cattle. 

The Egyptians conld not see what had 
happened to the Israelites for the black 
cloud that rested between them, but when 
the children of Israel were safely across, 
God lifted the cloud, and in wonder they 
beheld what had transpired at the break 
of dawn. "This is the hand of God," 
they said, "and He fights for the children 
of Israel, so let ns return. But look; the 
waters still stand on either side. Per- 
haps we can still capture them," and thus 
they debated among themselves. "Let us 
go in and try," they said, but when they 
had reached half way, the wrath of God 
shone down so fiercely upon them through 
a pillar of fire that they were again 
frightened. "Let us flee," they said, "for 
the hand of God is against us, "but they 
had not more than turned to go back when 
the Lord took the wheels off: of their 
chariots and caused them to drag heavily 
through the sands. 

"Lift thy rod over the waters," de- 
manded a voice from the clouds, and 



True Spirit Return 127 

Aaron did so under Moses' command, and 
the mighty waters of the Eed Sea rolled 
back, and King Pharaoh's men were 
drowned, and in the early morn their dead 
bodies lay scattered everywhere on the 
sea shore. 

Thus it was the Israelites were saved 
from the Egyptians by the miraculous 
power of God, through the hands of His 
prophets, Moses and Aaron. 

When the children of Israel saw what 
the Lord had done for them they wor- 
shiped and gave thanks for their safe 
deliverance, promising to trust and obey 
Him, in all matters and at all times. 

But let us not attempt to follow them 
through their long, weary journey in the 
wilderness, for we would like to take the 
time to stop over at the home of Job, the 
most afflicted, and yet the most patient 
man in the world; one whose faith in 
God never wavered through all of his 
sorrows. It may be that we can draw 
some sweet lessons of patience from this 
godly man. 

But just a few more words concerning 
Moses and the children of Israel. God 
continued to work signs and wonders for 



128 True Spirit Return 

them, through their forty years journey 
in the wilderness. When they were hun- 
gry He sent them quails, and manna from 
heaven, and when they were thirsty, 
Moses had but to command Aaron to 
smite the rock with his rod and the spark- 
ling waters flowed. 

But Aaron died before they reached 
the promised land, and they mourned for 
him thirty days and nights. Here we 
have an example of God's fulfillment of 
a promise to punish as well as reward. 

Aaron was a good man, and God loved 
him, but he sinned grievously in the eyes 
of the Lord when he ordered the Israelites 
to make a golden calf, and permitted them 
to worship it while Moses was on the 
mountain-top. So the Lord told him that 
for punishment of this sin he must die 
before reaching the land of Canaan. 

But we have another instance similar 
to that of Aaron, where God fulfills His 
promise to punish as well as reward, and 
draw not back in wonder when I tell you 
that his name was Moses. Though I can 
scarcely blame you for being astonished, 
for the Holy Book tells us that he was the 
greatest prophet that ever lived, either 



True Spirit Return 129 

before or after, and never was there one 
who performed the wonders, signs and 
miracles as he had done. 

And the Lord had said of him that 
there never had been a prophet that He 
had talked face to face as He had to 
Moses, bnt like his brother Aaron, he had 
disobeyed and displeased Him greatly on 
one occasion, and while he conld view the 
promised land, he could not set foot 
upon it. 

Because ye trespassed against me 
among the children of Israel at the waters 
of Meribah Kadesh, in the wilderness of 
Zin, because ye sanctified me not in the 
midst of the children of Israel. 

Yet thou shalt see the land before thee; 
but thou shalt not go thither unto the land 
which I gave the children of Israel. 

— Deuteronomy xxxii, 51, 52. 

So according to the Word of Grod, Moses 
died in the land of Moab, on the top of 
Mount Nebo. He knew that his death 
was near at hand, so he gave the children 
of Israel a farewell message, and went 
up on the mountain-top to view the 
promised land. It was not far away, but 



130 True Spirit Return 

it seemed out of reach to Moses, for he 
knew that his feet were not to tread its 
soil. 

It may be that a few pangs of disap- 
pointment shot through the heart of this 
great prophet at sight of this beautiful 
land, but he was reconciled to be punished 
for a sin he knew full well he should not 
have committed, and all through his life 
he had remained so close to his Lord that 
now he is not afraid to die, and knows 
that he is going to a far more beautiful 
country than the one that greets his eyes. 

So alone with his God on a lonely 
mountain-top, the soul of Moses passes 
out and is carried upward to heaven, and 
the Lord Himself takes his body into the 
valley of Moab and buries him there, and 
to this day no one has been able to find 
the sepulcher of Moses. 

" Moses is dead," saith the Lord to the 
children of Israel, and he appointed 
Joshua in his place to lead them, exhort- 
ing him to follow the Commandments and 
to keep close to his Creator, as Moses had 
done. 

These words spoke the Lord unto 
Joshua: Have not I commanded thee? 



True Spirit Return 131 

Be strong, and of a good courage; be not 
afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the 
Lord thy God is with thee, whithersoever 
thou goest. Joshua i, 9. 

We can well take these comforting and 
strengthening words to ourselves. They 
will help ns over many a rough and 
rugged path. 

The children of Israel mourned thirty 
days and nights for Moses. They had 
only to cross the Jordan, and they would 
be in the promised land, but the waters 
of this river were stormy and turbulent, 
and now that Moses was dead, all eyes 
were turned to Joshua for help and 
guidance. 

' ' Take twelve men representing the 
twelve tribes of Israel," commanded a 
voice from the clouds, "and let them bear 
the ark of covenant, and when the soles 
of their feet have touched the brim of 
the river, the waters shall divide into a 
high wall on either side, and the children 
of Israel shall pass over on dry land." 

So Joshua did as God commanded him, 
and no sooner had the twelve priests, 
bearing the ark, dipped their feet in the 



132 True Spirit Return 

river's edge, than the waters were divided 
into the high walls, and the Israelites 
passed over without harm. 

Now that we have landed the children 
of Israel safely in the promised land, the 
country promised to their forefathers, 
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, let ns leave 
them, and .stop over at the home of Job. 



True Spirit Return 133 



JOB'S GEEAT PATIENCE AND IL- 

LUSTEATION OF THE ALMIGHTY 

POWEE OF GOD OVEE THE 

LIMITED POWEE OF SATAN 

In the land of Uz there dwelt a man 
rich in cattle and household goods with 
grounds extending far into the east and 
west and on into the north and south. 

He was known to be the wealthiest and 
most prosperous man in the east, and 
one who feared God and hated evil. He 
had seven sons, and three fair daughters. 

But when they were drinking wine and 
feasting in their eldest brother's house, he 
always offered up a sacrifice for each one 
separately in the Holy Temple, fearing 
that they might have had vain thoughts 
displeasing to the Lord. 

Thus did this godly man continually. 
The name of this good and upright man 
was Job, and there came a day when the 
sons of God went up into the temple to 
worship the Lord, and satan came among 
them. 



134 True Spirit Return 

"Where did you come from?" asked 
the Lord. 

' ' From going up and down on the earth, 
and walking about on it," replied satan. 

And the Lord said unto Satan, Whence 
contest thou? Then Satan answered the 
Lord, and said, From going to and fro in 
the earth, and from walking up and down 
in it. — Job i, 7. 

"Hast thou considered my servant, 
Job," questioned God, "a more perfect 
and upright man never lived?" 

"Does Job fear God for nothing?" re- 
plied satan, "have you not placed a fence 
of protection around him, and have you 
not caused him to prosper beyond any 
man in the east; have you not given him 
untold wealth? Take away what he has, 
and he will curse Thee to Thy face." 

But put forth thine hand now, and 
touch all that he hath, and he will curse 
thee to thy face. — Job i, 11. 

"All that he hath is in thy hand," saith 
God, "but spare his life," and satan went 
away from the presence of the Lord. 



True Spirit Return 135 

And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, 
all that he hath is in thy power; only 
upon himself put not forth thine hand. 
So Satan went forth from the presence of 
the Lord. — Job i, 12. 

So there came a time one day when the 
sons and daughters of Job were feasting 
and drinking wine at their eldest brother's 
house, when a messenger came to him and 
said, "I was tending your drove of oxen 
and the ponies were grazing beside them, 
when out came three bands of Sabeans, 
and went away with them, and killed the 
men who were watching them with the 
edge of their sword, and I alone am left 
to tell thee." 

No sooner had this man ceased speak- 
ing than another messenger came and 
said, "I was watching over your camels 
when a band of robbers came out, and 
stole them and killed all of the men, and I 
alone am left to tell thee.'' 

While this servant was yet speaking 
there came another and said, "I was 
guarding sheep in yonder field, when 
there came a fire from heaven, and de- 
stroyed them as well as the men who 



136 True Spirit Return 

were watching them. I alone am left to 
tell thee." 

While he was speaking there came an- 
other messenger and said, "Your sons 
and daughters were feasting and drinking 
wine in their eldest brother's house, when 
there came a strong north wind from the 
wilderness, and blew it down to the earth, 
killing them all, and I only am left to 
give the message." 

Then Job rose and rent his mantle, and 
shaved his head, but dropping on his 
knees, the grief-stricken man raised his 
voice to God and said, "the Lord gave, 
and the Lord hath taken away; blessed 
be the name of the Lord." Job i, 21. 

How many of us have said these words 
when sorrow and adversity have come up- 
on us! If we could only say them in the 
same .spirit that Job did, our troubles 
would be easier to bear. 

If we could only say as Job did, "not 
my will, but Thine, Lord," our sor- 
rows would grow lighter. 

And there came another day when the 
sons of God met before the Lord in His 
holy temple and sat an met with them. 



True Spirit Return 137 

" Where did you come from!" asked 
the Lord. 

"From going to and fro on the earth 
and walking up and down on it," replied 
the devil. 

"Did you observe My servant Job; 
that he has held to his integrity, even 
though you prevailed upon Me to destroy 
all that he hath, without cause, did you 
take note that he still retains his faith in 
God, and he is still a good and upright 
man?" question the Lord. 

"A tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye, 
and skin for skin ; yea, all that a man hath 
will he give for his life. Touch his bone 
and flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy 
face," replied satan. 

"All that he hath is in thy hands, but 
spare his life," answered the Lord. 

Then satan went away from the pres- 
ence of God, and smote Job with sore 
boils from the sole of his feet to the 
crown of his head, and his sufferings were 
so great that he robed himself in sack- 
cloth and ashes, and sitting out in front of 
his house, mourned in his misery, but 
never once found fault with his Creator, 
or ceased to trust Him. 



138 True Spirit Return 

And his wife asked of him, "why don't 
yon curse God and die?" He replied, 
"has not the Lord given! Has He not a 
right to take away?" 

And he reproached her for her lack of 
faith, and abnsive words, against the 
Supreme Enler. And then his friends 
came to comfort and to monrn with him, 
but they only added to his sorrow and 
sufferings, for they seemed to think that 
he was being punished by God for some 
hidden sin, that they knew nothing about. 

And finally Job had to tell his friends 
to leave him alone in his sorrow, but they 
insisted upon staying, arguing among 
themselves the source of Job's afflictions, 
until he became so grieved that the poor 
man cursed the day he was born, but 
never a word against the Lord passed his 
lips. 

Then they rebuked him for cursing the 
day of his birth. Job admitted that he 
had done wrong in this, "and friends," 
he exclaimed, "you know not the anguish 
that I am suffering, or you would not re- 
proach me so." 

Then he tried to prove to them that he 
had not departed from the paths of 



True Spirit Return 139 

righteousness, and he attempted to con- 
vince them that he was not being pun- 
ished for some sin he had committed. 

' 'Judge me not so harshly," he pleaded 
of his friends. "Think you if the afflic- 
tions that weigh so heavily upon me were 
on your shoulders that you would bear 
them any better that I have! Because 
I murmur in the depth of my pain and 
sorrow is no sign that / have ceased to 
love God." 

But in their inconsistence, they accused 
him of impiety, because he attempted to 
justify himself. 

"You miserable comforters," exclaimed 
Job, "you have said words that add only 
to my grief; if you were in sorrow I 
would say things to strengthen and com- 
fort you," and he rebuked them for find- 
ing fault and reproving him for what he 
did not deserve. 

Then Job spoke of the frailty and im- 
mortality of man in beautiful and elo- 
quent language. These were a few words 
that he brought before them. 

He cometh forth like a flower, and is 
cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, 
and continueth not. — Job xiv, 2. 



140 True Spirit Return 

But man dieth, and wasteth away; yea, 
man giveth up the ghost and where is he? 

As the waters fail from the sea, and the 
flood decay eth and drieth up: 

So man lieth down, and riseth not; till 
the heavens be no more, they shall not 
awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. 

—Job xiv, 10-12. 

If a man die, shall he live again? all the 
days of my appointed time will I wait, 
till my change come. 

Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee; 
thou wilt have a desire to the work of 
thine hands. — Job xiv, 14, 15. 

Then Job discoursed at length on the 
omnipotency of God in every way. "Our 
Divine Euler is too great to do anything 
small," said Job to his friends. "He is 
too powerfully just to do anything unjust. 
He has too powerful a love for those who 
worship Him, and keep His Command- 
ments to really be unkind to them. There 
may happen events that we do not at the 
time understand, but who are we that we 
should question the powerful wisdom and 
goodness of God? Everything will come 
out for the best" continued this man of 



True Spirit Return 141 

afflictions, "if we only have faith in God, 
for He maketh the rain to fall on the just 
and the unjust, and the sun to shine upon 
the wicked and righteous, but the wicked 
may flourish for a season, but he will 
be cut down at any moment by the hand 
of God, and while the righteous may have 
trials and sorows for a while, he will be 
rewarded if he will only hold fast to his 
integrity, and have faith in the almighty 
God. The Lord will know where to find 
His servant Job," went on the speaker, 
"when He sees fit to draw him from the 
afflictions that encompass him." 

But he knoweth the way that I take; 
when he hath tried me, I shall come forth 
as gold. 

My foot hath held his steps; his way 
have I kept, and not declined. 

— Job xxiii, 10, 11. 

Thus spoke this man of God, describing 
again the wonderful power of our Creator 
in these thrilling words, found in the 26th 
chapter of Job, from the 5th to the 12th 
verses. 

Dead things are formed from under the 
waters, and the inhabitants thereof. 



142 True Spirit Return 

Hell is naked before him, and destruc- 
tion hath no covering. 

He stretcheth out the north over the 
empty place, and hangeth the earth upon 
nothing. 

He bindeth up the water in his thick 
clouds; and the cloud is not rent under 
them. 

He holdeth back the face of his throne, 
and spreadeth his cloud upon it. 

He hath compassed the waters with 
bounds, until the day and night come to 
an end. 

The pillars of heaven tremble, and are 
astonished at his reproof. 

He divideth the sea with his power, and 
by his understanding he smiteth through 
the proud. 

Then Job next protesteth his sincerity, 
and declares himself not to be a hypocrite, 
and denounced them as a doomed people, 
without hope. 

Terrors take hold on him as waters, a 
tempest stealeth him aivay in the night. 

The east wind carrieth him away, and 
he departetli; and, as a storm, hurleth him. 
out of his place. — Job xxvii, 20, 21. 



True Spirit Return 143 

The servant of the Lord then talked of 
the wonderful valne of wisdom. 

" There is a vein for the silver and a 
place for the gold," continued this elo- 
quent speaker, "and the brass is melted 
out of the stones, and the iron is gotten 
from the earth." 

"The sapphire is found in the ground 
with the dust of gold upon it. The crystal 
is found in the rocks and the corals and 
pearls are hidden away by the sea, and 
in the depths of the ocean. The floods 
break forth from waters that settle at the 
foot of hills, unknown to man, and are 
dried up by an unseen hand, the hand of 
God. 

"Mighty rocks are overturned, and the 
mountains are torn up by the roots. 

"Great floods are turned loose, and 
bound up again in the clouds of heaven. 

"Out of the earth cometh bread, but 
beneath it is fire. 

"There is a path that no fowl knoweth, 
and no vulture's eye has ever seen; a 
path where no lion's whelps have trodden, 
nor yet the fierce lion found a trail, but 
the powerful eye of God has pierced its 
depths. 



144 True Spirit Return 

" There are hidden treasures that the 
divine power has brought to light. 

"But wisdom, where is wisdom and 
understanding? 

"The depths saith, it is not in me, and 
the sea saith, it is not with me. 

"It cannot be exchanged for gold or 
silver, or precious stones, nor yet for 
pearls. Its price is above the price of 
rubies. ' ' 

No mention shall be m,ade of coral or 
of pearls; for the price of wisdom is 
above rubies. — Job xxviii, 18. 

The latter part of this verse has been 
a well-known proverb for centuries past. 
But wisdom, where can wisdom be found? 

Job tells us that it is a gift from God, 
and I would add, that like Solomon we 
should pray for it. And Job also in- 
forms us in the 28th chapter of Job and 
28th verse, which is as follows: And 
unto man he said, Behold the fear of the 
Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from 
evil is understanding. 

Then the speaker concluded his speech, 
by once more referring to the power of 
God in these words : He setteth an end to 



True Spirit Return 145 

darkness, and searcheth out all perfection; 
the stones of darkness, and the shadow of 
death. Job xxviii, 3. 

For he looketh to the ends of the earth, 
and seeth under the whole heaven. 

To make the weight for the winds, and 
he weigheth the waters by measure. 

When he made a decree for the rain, 
and a way for the lightning, of the 
thunder. 

Then did he see it and declare it; he 
prepared it, yea, and sarched it out. 

—Job xxviii, 24-27. 

Job's friends were silent after his elo- 
quent discourse, but after a time, Elihu 
the youngest in the crowd, spoke up and 
questioned Job as to how he knew of his 
own favor in the eyes of the Lord, or how 
could he be sure of his own righteousness? 

Job then enumerated the many blessings 
he had done for mankind; such as giving 
to the poor, kindness to the widow, and 
orphan, as well as beasts and animals of 
all kind. He had always worked hard, 
and God had permitted him to prosper in 
consequence, and he had never owed a 
debt to any man or had he ever been un- 



146 True Spirit Return 

true to his wife and family, neither had 
he ever even given a thought to the wife 
of another, and he had worshipped God, 
and kept His commandments since child- 
hood. 

Elihu then spoke again, and upbraided 
the others for talking to Job the way they 
had, and the unjust accusations that they 
had made against him. 

He then reasoned with Job, telling him 
what a good and upright man he con- 
sidered him, but he argued with him in 
such a kind, clear and good-natured way 
that when he had finished speaking, Job 
had not near the good opinion of himself 
as when Elihu had begun his statement, 
and felt rather humble. 

Just a word concerning Job, Elihu was 
right. Job was a man so good, or nearly 
perfect, that, no doubt, he unconsciously 
thought himself perfect, but his friend 
points out to him, that in the eyes of God 
no man is perfect or without sin. 

But I agree with Elihu, that while Job 
was not perfect, there is little doubt that 
any man would have borne the afflictions 
which had fallen upon Job, with the same 
fortitude and patience, as well as have 



True Spirit Return 147 

the trust and faith that all would be 
righted. 

Then there was heard a voice out of 
the whirlwind, "straighten up, and an- 
swer me like a man; you spoke of the 
power of God, but the half of it you did 
not tell. Were you here when the world 
was first created V 9 

"No, Lord," answered Job, humbly. 

"And," continued the Divine Ruler, but 
let us quote His exact words, as we find 
them in the Holy Book, 38th chapter of 
Job, 4th to 18th verse, as follows: 

Where wast thou when I laid the foun- 
dations of the earth? declare, if thou hast 
understanding. 

Who hath laid the measures thereof, if 
thou Jcnowest? Or who hath stretched the 
line upon it? 

Whereupon are the foundations thereof 
fastened, or who laid the cornerstone 
thereof? 

When the morning stars sang together, 
and all the sons of God shouted for joy? 

Or who shut up the sea with doors, 
when it brake forth? 

When I made the cloud the garment 



148 True Spirit Return 

thereof, and thick darkness a swaddling 
band for it, 

And brake up for it my decreed place, 
and set bars and doors. 

And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, but 
no further; and here shall thy proud 
waves be stayed? 

Hast thou commanded the morning 
since thy days; and caused the day spring 
to know his place; 

That it might take hold of the ends of 
the earth that the wicked might be shaken 
out of it? 

It is turned as clay to the seal, and they 
stand as a garment. 

And from the wicked their light is with- 
holden, and the high arm shall be broken. 

Hast thou entered into the springs of 
the sea, or hast thou walked in the search 
of the depth? 

Have the gates of death been opened 
unto thee? or hast thou seen the doors of 
the shadoiv of death? 

Hast thou perceived the breadth of the 
earth? declare, if thou knowest it all. 

"No, Lord," admitted Job, and this 
servant of God bowed low in humble ac- 



True Spirit Return 149 

knowledgment of the almighty power hid- 
den within the whirlwind. 

"Forgive me," pleaded Job, "I am an 
ignorant, sinful fool!" 

"Bise," demanded the voice from the 
whirlwind, "draw a long breath, and for 
thy faith, patience and righteousness, thou 
shalt be made whole. Thy strength shall 
return to thee, and thou shalt be rewarded 
with double the wealth in land, cattle, ser- 
vants, silver and gold, and seven sons and 
three fair daughters shall be added to 
thy household for the ones you so sadly 
lost." 

And Job rose as he was commanded, 
and drew a long breath, and lo, and be- 
hold, the boils that were upon him dis- 
appeared as if by magic, and the blood 
flowed through his veins with healing 
strength and vigor. 

His friends looked in amazement at 
this wonderful miracle. "The words that 
this man has spoken," they whispered, 
"are true," but they were so bewildered 
that they stole away in silence, and Job 
was left alone. He then walked along a 
wooded path to try his strength. 

When he reached a beautiful stream of 



150 True Spirit Return 

water, he sat down beside it, beneath the 
shade of a large tree, to reflect and medi- 
tate on the wonders and goodness of God. 

It did not take Job long to regain his 
wealth and donble it as God has promised, 
and in the years to come the Lord gave 
him seven sons and three of the fairest 
and most beautiful daughters in the land. 

All of the days of Job's life were pros- 
perous after that one test that God had 
permitted satan to give him, in order to 
prove to the devil his mistaken idea and 
reason for Job's goodness and righteous- 
ness. 

Satan had attributed all of Job's reli- 
gion to selfish motives and the fact that 
God had guarded and protected him al- 
ways and caused him to be wealthy and 
prosperous beyond any man in the East. 

"Take these blessings and riches away 
from him," replied satan, and he will 
curse Thee to Thy face." 

So in order to prove to his satanic ma- 
jesty his mistake the Lord permitted him 
to send these afflictions upon this right- 
eous man; only God warned the devil not 
to take his life, showing how limited is 



True Spirit Return 151 

the power of satan besides the almighty 
power of our divine Creator. 

And so it was that Job, by his patience 
and continued faith and trust in God, 
proved the devil a lie and himself true 
gold. 



152 True Spirit Return 



THE EEVELATION OF A WONDROUS 
AND POWERFUL LOVE IS POR- 
TRAYED TO THE WORLD BY 
THE GIFT OF THE SON JESUS 
CHRIST FROM AN OMNIPO- 
TENT GOD 

What greater love could God have 
shown the world than this? He gave His 
only begotten son to us, that whosoever 
believeth on Him should not perish, but 
have everlasting life. 

This is the most precious and grandest 
gift and sacrifice our heavenly Father 
could have made for us. 

Since the first creation of man God had 
been confronted with the problems of sin, 
and He had punished them the way that 
He had considered they deserved. 

Adam and Eve, our first foreparents, 
were driven out of the Garden of Eden for 
disobedience, and Cain was sent a wan- 
derer upon the face of the globe, with a 
mark upon him for killing his brother, 
Abel. 

The world had become so wicked that 



True Spirit Return 153 

God was compelled to destroy all of the 
people in it with a flood except Noah and 
his family. Then the Lord promised 
never more to send a flood that would en- 
gulf the whole world again, and set his 
rainbow in the sky as a token of His 
promise. 

But, finally, the world became so wicked 
and idolatrous that God did not know 
what to do with it. 

This was long after the reign of King 
Solomon. "I will be compelled to de- 
stroy them, body and soul," said the Cre- 
ator of the universe, "and all living crea- 
tures. I cannot stand this." 

" Father, spare them," pleaded the Son. 
"Let me suffer in their place," and the 
Son of the heavenly Father looked down 
in pity on the sin-cursed world. 

Then a powerful wave of love and com- 
passion swept the mighty heart of God 
for the sons of man. "Go, My Son," He 
replied, and then it was that a compact 
was signed between Father and Son, that 
if the Son should leave His throne in 
heaven to dwell on earth, and suffer and 
be persecuted, and finally crucified, His 
blood that was shed upon the Cross would 



154 True Spirit Return 

redeem the lost souls of man, in the past, 
present and future. 

"But one request I would make of the 
sons of man," said the victor Emanuel, 
in a pathetic voice, "and that is, that they 
will only accept, acknowledge, and believe 
that I am their Savior, and through my 
blood, upon the Cross, they are saved." 

"Go, My Son," repeated the Lord, 
"and do what you can for the children of 
earth. ' ' 

In the fifty-second chapter of Isaiah 
we find a prophecy foretelling the coming 
and suffering of Christ, also His cruci- 
fixion. The prophet Elijah was sent by 
the Lord to prepare the way and announce 
the coming of Christ to the sinful world. 
So it was no great surprise when it was 
whispered around that a child had been 
born that should be King of the Jews. 

That night, in a quiet little city called 
Bethlehem, of Judea, a tiny baby lay in 
the manger among the lowing cows, be- 
cause there was not room in the inn for 
this wee prince from heaven. 

Not far away, the shepherds were tend- 
ing their sheep, when lo, and behold, an 
angel stood before them, and said, ' ' Christ 



True Spirit Return 155 

is born and is in yonder manger ;" and 
they were filled with joy, and spread the 
glad news quickly about. 

This same angel returned to where 
Mary and Joseph were bending over Him, 
in His humble crib. "Name Him Jesus/' 
commanded this white-robed figure, "for 
that means Savior of men." 

So it was, as the angel had demanded, 
they called the babe Jesus. Now there 
were certain Wise Men in the East who 
knew through prophecy that it was time 
for the Savior's arrival on earth, and 
the exact date would be marked by a new 
star in the sky, called the Star of the 
East, and that it would guide them to His 
whereabouts. 

So lo, and behold! The Wise Men 
looked up in the sky, and when they saw 
this strange, beautiful star, they said 
among themselves, "He has come, the 
Savior has come, let us follow the star 
that we may find and worship Him." 

And when they had started traveling 
the star moved on ahead of them, and 
when it had reached where the shepherds 
were watching their sheep it stopped over 
their heads, for they were the first to re- 



156 True Spirit Return 

ceive the glad tidings from an angel of 
heaven. 

"The Christ child, where is He!" asked 
the Wise Men of the shepherds. "We 
have seen His star in the East, and we 
have come to worship Him. ,, 

Then they pointed to the manger, and 
no sooner had the Wise Men started than 
the star moved on and paused over the 
place where the Babe was resting in its 
bed of straw. 

They then entered the house, where 
Jesus and His mother Mary and Joseph 
were staying, and when they saw the little 
prince from heaven they fell on their 
knees and worshiped Him. They also 
opened up a box if gold, frankincense, 
and myrrh, as a present for the little 
fellow. 

King Herod was ruling at the time of 
Christ's birth, and when he heard of it 
he was greatly alarmed, for he thought 
that this new king would in time take his 
throne, so he plotted in his mind to have 
him killed. When the Wise Men passed 
through Jerusalem Herod stopped them 
and told them to find out where the Christ 
child was; that he wanted to worship 



True Spirit Return 157 

Him, but in reality he wished to have 
him destroyed. But the Wise Men had 
been warned in a dream by an angel of 
the Lord not to return to the king, and of 
his intentions, so that went back to their 
homes in an opposite direction. 

When Herod discovered that he had 
been deceived by the Wise Men, he was so 
angry that he had all of the boy babies 
under two years old killed that were in 
the land of Israel and along the coast 
hoping that he might kill the Christ baby 
among them. 

There was great moaning and weeping 
among the mothers for their little ones. 
But just after the departure of the Wise 
Men an angel came to Joseph in a dream 
and said, "take the child and his mother 
and flee quickly to the land of Egypt, for 
King Herod seeks to destroy his life. ' ' 

So Joseph rises in haste and takes the 
child and his mother to the land of Egypt, 
and they travel in the dead of night. 

"Stay here," commanded the angel, 
"until King Herod is dead, or until I 
give you a message to leave." 

They remained in Egypt until one day 
the angel came to them and said, "King 



158 True Spirit Return 

Herod is dead; come back into the land of 
Israel." 

So Joseph took the mother and young 
child and started for the land of Israel, 
but hearing that King Herod's brother 
ruled in his stead became frightened and 
despite a warning from God stopped over 
in the land of Galilee, in the city of 
Nazareth, and so it was according to 
prophecy Christ became the Nazarene of 
Galilee. 

He grew from babyhood to childhood 
like any other little one, but He seemed 
possessed with a quaint lot of knowledge 
for His age. His mother and Joseph went 
to Jerusalem once a year, to the Passover, 
and always took Him with them. When 
they were returning home from the Pass- 
over they missed Him, but thought at 
first that He was with some of His rela- 
tives in another part of the company, and 
did not get uneasy about Him until the 
third day. He was twelve at that time. 
Mary and Joseph went back all the way to 
Jerusalem to find Him, and they came 
across the Christ child sitting in the holy 
temple among the wise men and doctors 
of learning; expounding questions, and 



True Spirit Return 159 

asking the meaning of matters beyond His 
years, and they listened with amazement 
at the remarkable wisdom that came from 
this boy's lips. "VvTiy did yon leave us, 
my son? Your father and I were very 
uneasy about you," said Mary. "Why 
should I come?" asked the Christ child. 
"Do you not know that I must be about 
My Father's business?" And Mary could 
not understand this strange answer. 

So Jesus grew in stature and favor, 
with God and man. When the Christ 
child had reached the age of manhood, 
there came one John the Baptist, preach- 
ing in the wilderness, and baptizing in 
the river Jordan all who wished to repent 
of their sins and be saved in the kingdom 
of heaven. 

Many thought that John the Baptist 
was Jesus Christ. Multitudes from all 
parts of the country came down to be 
baptized and to hear this great man speak. 
Among them came the Pharisees and Sad- 
ducees, and John rebuked them, thus: 
i ' Who warned you of hell-fire, you genera- 
tion of vipers and set of hypocrites? 
First prove yourself worthy by the good 
fruits of your labor before coming to me. 



160 True Spirit Return 

There comes one after me whose shoes I 
am not worthy to nnlace. I baptize with 
water but he will baptize you with the 
Holy Ghost and fire. The wheat he will 
gather. The flour he will place in the 
garner, but the chaff he will throw into 
the fire." 

Then came Jesus from Galilee, to be 
baptized by John the Baptist in the Eiver 
Jordan. 

' 'Lord, it is I that should be baptized 
by Thee, not Thou by me, for I feel that 
I am unfit.' ' "Not so," Christ replied, 
"suffer it be so that the laws of God and 
righteousness shall be fulfilled." 

So Jesus was baptized by John the 
Baptist, and as the Divine One came up 
out of the water the spirit of God in the 
form of a dove flew down and lit on His 
shoulder, and a voice from heaven said, 
"This is my beloved Son in whom I am 
well pleased." St. Matthew iii, 17. 

Jesus went straightway from the River 
Jordan to the wilderness to fast and pray 
forty days and nights. When He was 
very hungry, satan came to Him and said, 
"If thou be the Son of God command 
these stones to be turned into bread." 



True Spirit Return 161 

"It is written that we should not live by 
bread alone, but by the word of God," 
Christ replied. 

Then satan taketh Him to the holy city 
of Jerusalem, and carrying Him up into a 
high pinnacle of a temple, demanded of 
Christ, "if thou be the Son of God cast 
thyself down, for it is written that the 
Lord has given His angels charge over 
you, to bear you up lest thou dash thy 
foot against a stone at any time." 

"It is written again that thou shalt not 
tempt the Lord thy God," Christ an- 
swered him. 

Then satan took the Savior on an ex- 
ceedingly high mountain and showed Him 
the glory of the surrounding kingdoms. 

"All these will I give Thee if Thou wilt 
fall down and worship me," said the 
tempter. 

"Get thee hence, satan," demanded 
Christ, "it is written that thou shalt wor- 
ship the Lord thy God alone," replied 
Jesus. 

Then satan left Christ for a season, and 
angels came to minister unto Him. When 
Christ left the wilderness He went to 
Galilee, where He had heard that John 



162 True Spirit Return 

the Baptist was in prison, and from there 
to Capernaum. 

He found these people in the darkness 
of sin and shadow of death, and He 
spread the light of the gospel before them, 
and showed them the path to eternal life. 

From this time on our Savior preached 
constantly, all along the coast and dif- 
ferent parts of the country, using many 
beautiful parables as illustrations. 

One day, while Jesus was preaching by 
the seashore, He saw a man named Simon 
Peter and his brother Andrew. They 
were fishing, but luck was against them, 
for their nets were empty, but at a word 
from Christ they became full, and the men 
marveled at this. 

' 'Follow Me," demanded Christ, "and 
I will make you fishers of men, and Simon 
Peter and his brother Andrew became 
disciples of Christ. 

Not far from this place, as they jour- 
neyed by the sea, they came upon two 
other brothers, James and John, who 
were mending nets in their father's ship. 

"Leave, and follow Me," Christ de- 
manded, and they immediately left their 
father's ship and went with the Savior, 



True Spirit Return 163 

and from that time on where disciples of 
Jesus. 

The fame of the Savior spread through 
all the country, and into the land of Syria. 
Jesus went about preaching the gospel, 
and healing the sick everywhere. He per- 
formed many wonderful miracles, such as 
raising the dead, casting out devils, and 
curing the insane. He also healed those 
who came to Him with incurable diseases, 
such as the palsy and leprosy. He made 
the lame to walk, and the blind to see, and 
He comforted those in sorrow, and healed 
the broken-hearted. Yet, for all this kind- 
ness to humanity there were those who 
found fault with Christ. The Scribes 
criticized Him for sitting and eating at 
the table with the Publicans, and knowing 
their hearts Jesus rebuked them. ' ' Think- 
est thou that I have come to call the right- 
eous to repentance? They are saved, but 
the sinners are lost lest I mingle with 
them and show them the way." 

They were amazed that He knew their 
thoughts, and wondered what manner of 
man He was that could read their minds. 
And when Christ cast out devils there 
were some to say that He was in league 



164 True Spirit Return 

with Beelzebub, the leading devil, or He 
would not have that power. 

Hearing their words, he questioned them 
thus: "Do you not think that a house or 
kingdom divided against itself will fall? 
Would it be of advantage to satan and 
his kingdom that devils remain in mor- 
tals? Yes," replied Christ. "Then why 
should He wish to cast them out? Would 
it add to the kingdom of heaven if all 
possessed with evil spirits were freed 
from them? Yes," answered our Savior. 

They who had spoken were hushed and 
awed into silence by the truth of Christ's 
words. "He speaks with authority," they 
whispered among themselves. 

On another occasion the Scribes and 
Pharisees accused Jesus Christ of break- 
ing the Sabbath because He healed the 
sick on that day, and fed His disciples by 
plucking corn from a field. 

"How many of you, if you had an ox 
or a sheep in the ditch on Sunday, would 
not stop to get him out, or who is it 
among you who does not take his horse 
to water on that day?" 

They could not answer the Savior, for 



True Spirit Return 165 

they found themselves so much in the 
wrong. 

Once, when Jesus Christ and His dis- 
ciples were in a large crowd, a man af- 
flicted with the leprosy came to the Savior 
to be healed. " Cheer up, my son," said 
the Lord, "thy sins are forgiven thee." 

"Hear Him blaspheme God," declared 
a group of Scribes and Pharisees, only 
the Ruler above has the power to forgive 
,sins. 

"Know you," replied Christ, "that the 
son of man has also the power to forgive 
sins? What difference does it make 
whether I say son, thy sins are forgiven 
or take up thy bed and walk — you are 
healed ! ' ' 

To prove that I have the power from 
my heavenly Father to both heal diseases 
and forgive sins at the same time I repeat 
thy sins are forgiven thee; take up your 
bed and walk. 

No sooner spoken, than the man was 
healed of his leprosy, and the Scribes and 
Pharisees marveled and were frightened 
at the power that Jesus Christ manifested. 

They then went upon the mountain 
where Christ preached a long sermon, the 



166 True Spirit Return 

contents of which has been handed down 
from generation to generation as contain- 
ing the essential teachings of salvation. 
In this discourse is found the golden rule, 
and many verses that are taken as stand- 
ing proverbs and new-year's resolutions, 
the one I will quote for you which, if 
followed from year to year, will make of 
you a just and broad-minded person. 'Tis 
this — 

Judge not, that ye be not judged. 

For ivith ivhat judgment ye judge, ye 
shall be judged; and with what measure 
ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 
St. Matthew vii, 1, 2. 

We are warned against false prophets 
who come to us in sheep's clothing, but 
inwardly they are ravening wolves. We 
will know them by their fruit. "Do we 
gather grapes of thorns, or figs of this- 
tles?" questioned our Savior; "nor does a 
bad tree give good fruit nor a good tree 
bad fruit; but the bad tree is hewn down 
and thrown into the fire while the good 
tree is saved. Thou must not save up 
treasures on earth alone, where moth and 
rust doth corrupt and thieves do break 



True Spirit Return 167 

through and steal, bat rather lay up for 
yourselves treasures in heaven, where 
moth and rust do not corrupt and thieves 
do not break through and steal, for where 
your treasure is there will be your heart. ' ' 

The Savior exhorted them that they 
should love not only their neighbors but 
their enemies as well; and they should 
pray for them which persecuted and de- 
spitefully treated them, and they shall 
have their reward in heaven. 

Jesus Christ taught the spirit of love, 
humility, and forgiveness, as well as 
generosity. But He cautioned them thus: 
"Give not that which is holy unto the 
dogs, neither cast your pearls before 
swine lest they trample them under-foot 
and turn and rend you again.' ' 

He also explained the commandments 
to them. "It is said," declared Christ, 
"that thou shalt not kill, but I say that 
if you are angry with him without a cause 
you will be in danger of judgment, or if 
you say to him you fool, you will be in 
danger of hell-fire. It is written in the 
commandments, thou shalt not swear, ex- 
cept to the Lord, but I say that you shall 
not swear bv heaven above, for it is God's 



168 True Spirit Return 

throne; nor by the earth, for it is His 
foot-stool; nor by the city of Jerusalem, 
for it is the city of the King; nor by thy 
head for thou canst not make one hair 
white or black. If thy eye offend thee, 
pluck it out," commanded Christ, "or thy 
hand or arm offend thee, cut them off; 
for it is better to lose a portion of your 
body than your whole soul should be cast 
into hell." 

By Christ's last statement He means if 
anything stands between you and the 
kingdom of heaven cast it aside, no mat- 
ter how great the sacrifice. 

"Ask, and it shall be given thee by thy 
Divine Father," said our Savior, "knock, 
and it shall be opened unto you; seek and 
ye shall find. For if our earthly fathers 
know how to give good gifts, how much 
better does our heavenly Father know 
how to give; for who among you if he 
were to ask for bread would expect to 
receive a stone from his earthly parent." 

Then Christ .said these beautiful words, 
which have brought so much peace and 
comfort to the hearts of many: 

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs 
is the kingdom, of heaven. 



True Spirit Return 169 

Blessed are they that mourn; for they 
shall be comforted. 

Blessed are the meek; for they shall 
inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they which do hunger and 
thirst after righteousness; for they shall 
be filled. 

Blessed are the merciful; for they shall 
obtain mercy. 

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they 
shall see God. 

Blessed are the peacemakers; for they 
shall be called the children of God. 

Blessed are they which are persecuted 
for righteousness' sake; for theirs is the 
kingdom of heaven. 

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile 
you, and persecute you and shall say all 
manner of evil against you falsely for my 
sake. 

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for 
great is your reward in heaven; for so 
persecuted they the prophets which were 
before you. 

Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the 
salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall 
it be salted? it is thenceforth good for 



170 True Spirit Return 

nothing, but to be cast out, and to be 
trodden under foot of men. 

Ye are the light of the world. A city 
that is set on an hill, cannot be hid. 

—St. Matthew v, 3-14. 

These twelve verses contained in 
Christ's Sermon on the Monnt are the 
twelve beatitudes that have been for cen- 
turies past used as references as to the 
virtue and blessing of an individual. Note 
that there is a verse for every month — 
twelve of them. Now, what month in the 
year were you born? If in February, 
your verse would be the second to cor- 
respond with the second month beginning 
with the first beatitude, and your virtue 
and blessing would be according. Now 
look and see which verse is yours. 

"When Christ had finished His Sermon 
on the Mount, He concluded with these 
words: " Those who hearken unto my 
saying, and do them, I would liken to a 
wise man, who built his house upon a 
rock. The rain descended; the winds 
blew; the floods came, and beat upon that 
house, but it stood as firm as the rock 
upon which it was built. But those who 



True Spirit Return 171 

do not heed My teachings, I would liken 
nnto a foolish man, who bnilt his house 
upon the sand. The rains descended; 
the winds blew; the floods came, and beat 
against that house and it fell, and great 
was the fall." 

In Christ's Sermon on the Mount, we 
find the Lord's prayer, the prayer that 
begins with "Our Father which art in 
heaven, hallowed be Thy name," and has 
been said for ages past, the world over, 
in all of the churches, synagogues, halls 
and temples, in the palace of the king, 
and also homes, from the mansion on 
down to the humblest hut. 

When our Savior had come down from 
the mountain it was eventide, and friends 
and relatives brought their loved ones 
who were sick and afflicted, and laid them 
at Jesus' feet to be healed. He had but 
to lay His hands upon them and speak a 
few words and they were well. 

Among the rest, there came a centurion, 
who knelt and beseeched Jesus to cure his 
servant who was at the house sick with 
the palsy. 

"Lord," he exclaimed, "my servant 
suff ereth much. Wilt thou not cure him ? ' ' 



172 True Spirit Return 

' 'Bring him to me," Christ requested. 

"Savior, he is at my house, which is a 
long ways off." 

"Then," replied Jesus, "I will go there 
myself. ' ' 

"No, Master," answered the centurion, 
"my roof is no fit resting place for Thy 
presence; for I am a man of great au- 
thority, with a large number of soldiers 
under my command. I ,say this or that 
and they obey my orders." 

"A greater faith, a more humble spirit, 
I have never beheld in all of Israel," 
Christ replied. "Son," exclaimed the 
Savior of souls and men, "thy faith hath 
made they servant well; and at that self- 
same hour the man with palsy was cured. 

"There will be many from the east and 
the west sitting with me at My Father's 
throne, along with Abraham, Isaac and 
Jacob, and you will be among them, ' ■ 
Christ said to the centurion. 

The crowds followed them, and as they 
passed through towns, villages, and cities, 
the sick were placed in the street for 
Christ to heal. There was one woman 
who had suffered with an incurable plague 
for many years, and she had trouble in 



True Spirit Return 173 

reaching Him for the multitude ahead of 
her. "If I could only touch the hem of 
His garment/' she exclaimed in despera- 
tion. She finally succeeded in reaching 
the Savior as He was passing on through 
the crowd, and she placed her finger-tips 
lightly on the edge of His robe. Feeling 
that His power had gone out from Him, 
He turned to see who had laid their hand 
upon the border of His garment. 

" Sister, " He said, "thy faith hath 
made thee whole," and from that moment 
she was well and strong. 

As Jesus and His disciples went on in 
their journey, a certain scribe, hearing the 
wonderful teachings of our Savior, and 
seeing His marvelous works, wished to 
go with Him. 

"Lord and Master, permit me," he 
pleaded, "to follow Thee whithersoever 
thou goeth." 

But Christ replied, "the foxes have 
holes, the birds have nests, but the Son 
of God hath nowhere to lay His head." 
To His disciple, who wished to tarry in 
order to bury his father who had just 
died, the Savior commanded him to let 
the dead bury their dead. To the multi- 



174 True Spirit Return 

tude He said, "take no thought of what 
ye shall eat, drink or wear on the mor- 
row. Sufficient unto the day is the evil 
thereof. Doth not the heavenly Father, 
who feedeth the raven, and knoweth when 
the sparrow falleth to the ground, com- 
prehend your needs and wishes'? For 
how much greater are you than the birds 
of the air?" 

And ivhy take ye thought for raiment? 
Consider the lilies of the field, how they 
grow; they toil not, neither do they spin!" 

And yet I say unto you, That even 
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed 
like one of these. 

—St. Matthew vi, 28, 29. 

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and 
all things, shall be added unto you," de- 
clared the Savior. 

When they had proceeded into another 
town, Jesus saw Matthew counting out re- 
ceipts, "come and follow me," the Master 
said, and immediately the man left his 
work and followed Christ. From that 
time on he became a disciple of Jesus. 
They then got into a boat, just Christ and 
His disciples, that they might get over on 



True Spirit Return 175 

the opposite shores to rest from the mul- 
titude, but the crowd followed them in 
boats and Jesus was compelled, though 
worn and weary, to continue preaching 
and healing. It was getting on close to 
eventide, and the crowd, having brought 
no dinner along, were hungry. 

"What shall we do, Lord?" asked the 
disciples. "They look as though they are 
famished. Had we not better send them 
home to get something to eat?" 

"No," replied the Lord, "they would 
famish and faint by the wayside." 

"But Lord, how are we to feed such a 
large crowd?" they asked. 

"How much food have we?" asked 
Christ. 

"Five loaves and two fishes." "Pass 
them around to the crowd," was Christ's 
command to His disciples. 

"But how can we feed a crowd of five 
thousand with five loaves and two fishes ? ' ' 
they asked. 

"Oh ye of little faith; break up the 
bread and fishes as I demanded thee and 
pass them around," commanded Christ, 
and they did accordingly, and found that 



176 True Spirit Return 

everyone had a plentiful supply, and there 
were twelve baskets of scraps left over. 

Then the crowds returned to their 
homes, and Jesus and His disciples got in 
their boat to cross over into the other 
side of the country. It was night, and the 
winds and waves were high. A tempest 
was stirring in the air. The Lord was 
fast asleep on a pillow in the back of the 
boat. "Wake up, Master,' ' they ex- 
claimed, "lest we perish. ,, 

"Fear not," He replied, rebuking the 
winds and waves until they became calm, 
and they marveled at His power, saying 
among themselves "even the sea obeys 
His voice." 

When they had reached the other shore 
it was morning, and there came to meet 
them a man possessed with many devils. 
He made his home for years among the 
tombs and the wild mountain sides. Night 
and day he would run back and forth 
among the tombs and mountains, cutting 
himself with rocks and crying. He had 
been chained and bound with iron fetters 
but had burst them asunder. No one 
could tame him, and all fled in terror at 
sight of him. But when he saw Jesus 



True Spirit Return 177 

from a distance he fell down and wor- 
shiped Him, calling ont in a lond voice, 
" Christ, the Son of God, why hast thou 
come to torment us?" But Jesus was 
not afraid, and went close to the man 
and said "What is thy name!" 

"Legion," he replied, "for we are 
many. ' ' 

Then the devils within the man began 
to beseech Christ at least not to drive 
them out of the country. 

"Leave! thou evil spirits from this man, 
to return never more," and they straight- 
way left his body as their abode. At that 
moment there happened along a herd of 
swine, two thousand in number, and ac- 
cording to the wish of the devils not to 
be driven out of the country, Christ per- 
mitted them to enter the swine, and the 
hogs, being possessed with the devil, ran 
violently down the hill, and were choked 
in the sea. The men who were tending 
the swine were frightened at what they 
saw and ran to the city, telling everyone 
they met what had happened to the wild 
man and the hogs. The man who had 
been possessed with evil spirits was sit- 
ting quietly on a stone, clothed in his 



178 True Spirit Return 

right mind, and when the crowds came to 
look at him, Jesus, noticing that they 
shrank back and were afraid of him, said 
— "fear him not; he will not harm yon 
now. He was so grateful to Christ for 
what He had done for him that he wished 
to remain with the Savior and serve Him 
the remainder of his days, but Jesus bade 
him to return to his people and tell them 
what the Lord had done for him. When 
the multitude had left it was evening, and 
Christ, having preached the gospel to 
many, and healed quite a large number of 
people of their afflictions, told his disciples 
to get in a ship, while He went up on the 
mountain to pray. When they were in 
the boat, and Christ was alone on the 
mountain-side, He saw that the winds 
were contrary and boisterous, and they 
were having a hard time to make the ship 
go. So about the fourth watch of the 
night Christ went to them, walking on 
the sea. When they saw Him they were 
frightened, for they thought that He was 
a spirit. 

"Be of good cheer/ ' said Christ, "be 
not afraid, it is only I." 

"Lord Jesus, if it is really you," said 



True Spirit Return 179 

Peter, "command me to walk on these 
waves to Thee." 

"Come/' demanded Christ, and Peter 
stepped out of the ship and onto the 
water, but when he had walked a short 
distance, and he began to sink, he be- 
came frightened, and holding out his arms 
to the Lord, he cried out, "save me, Lord 
Jesus, ere I perish." 

The Savior caught him by his arms and 
held him up. Oh ye, of little faith, think 
ye, that I would let you perish?" Christ 
exclaimed. No sooner had Jesus Christ 
and Peter entered the boat than there 
was a great calm of the winds and waves, 
and they marveled again at the power of 
the Lord. The Savior called His twelve 
disciples to Him, and told them to go out 
in twos, preaching the gospel in different 
parts of the country. He gave them the 
power to heal the sick and to cast out 
devils, and also instructed them how to 
preach. "You must always be courteous 
when you enter a town, village or city," 
demanded Christ. "When you go to one's 
home salute, and if they treat you kindly 
mark it down as peace and a blessing for 
that home, but should they be disrespect- 



180 True Spirit Return 

ful, or refuse to admit you into their 
dwelling, shake the dust off of your feet 
and never return to that place again, but 
mark it down for a curse. For verily, I 
say that one who mistreats and refuses to 
receive Me denies My heavenly Father, 
who sent Me here on earth to save the 
souls of men, and it is the same with My 
disciples, whosoever denies and treats 
them unkind it is the same as denying 
Me and are subject to punishment. You 
are going among wolves in sheep's cloth- 
ing a great part of the time; be careful,'' 
cautioned Christ, "lest they put you in 
prison. Be as wise as serpents, and as 
harmless as doves," the Savior advised 
them. So they went their different ways 
in twos, as Jesus had wished them, and 
they preached and healed the sick. One 
day, when they had returned from one of 
their trips, they complained to Christ that 
a stranger had been seen by them casting 
out devils, and he was not a follower of 
yours. "Was it right that he should do 
this?" they asked. 

"Did he do this in my name?" ques- 
tioned the Savior. 

"Yes," they replied. 



True Spirit Return 181 

"Then he committed no sin," Christ 
answered them, "he who giveth a cnp of 
cold water in My name," continued Jesns, 
"also shall have his reward in heaven." 

"Who is the greatest in the kingdom of 
God?" they asked. Christ took a little 
child and held him in His arms. "One of 
these," He replied, "and should any man 
do aught for a child of earth in My name 
great will be his blessings. But should 
any man do aught against one of these 
that believe in Me, it were better that a 
millstone were tied around his neck and 
he were cast into the ,sea." Then the 
mothers brought their children to Jesus to 
be blessed by Him, but His disciples, fear- 
ing that this might disturb and worry 
Christ, tried to stop them, but He re- 
proved His apostles for this, saying, ' ' suf- 
fer, them to come unto Me, and forbid 
them not, for of such is the kingdom of 
heaven. ' ' 

When it was eventide Jesus took Peter, 
James and John on an exceeding high 
mountain. When they were alone Christ 
became transfigured before them. His 
raiment appeared as white as snow, and 
His face shown like a bright light, and 



182 True Spirit Return 

there was talking with Him the two 
prophets Moses and Elias that had been 
dead for long ages past. Here we have 
illustration of spirit return, which is one 
among many, for all through the Bible we 
find such examples. To quote the exact 
words, I will give you the 4th verse of 
St. Mark, 9th chapter: 

And there appeared unto them Elias, 
with Moses; and they were talking with 
Jesus. 

"It is good for us to be here, Lord," 
said Peter. "Wilt thou not permit us to 
build three tabernacles; one for Thee, 
one for Moses, and one for Elias ?" 

But Jesus did not answer him, for He 
knew that the disciples were afraid of 
this return of the two prophets from the 
dead, and that Peter was so frightened 
that he was only talking through his hat. 
A cloud then overshadowed the three 
forms, and a voice spoke out from the 
mist and said, "this is My beloved Son, 
hear ye Him." When the cloud had van- 
ished, there was only Christ, and He 
charged His disciples not to tell what they 
had seen until He had been buried and 
had risen from the dead. Again, we have 



True Spirit Return 183 

a reference in the scriptures of spirit 
return, and we can find this announcement 
in the 9th verse of the 9th chapter of 
St. Mark, as follows: 

And as they came down from the moun- 
tain, he charged them that they should tell 
no man what things they had seen, till the 
Son of Man were risen from the dead. 

They questioned each other as to what 
the Savior could mean by, "return from 
the dead," hut they hated to ask Him for 
an explanation. When they had come 
down from the mountain-top, Christ called 
all of His twelve disciples to Him and 
told them that the time was nigh at hand 
when the Son of God would be killed by 
the son of man. "They will," continued 
Jesus, "throw Him into prison, scoff at 
Him, scourge and spit on Him, and finally 
crucify Him on the Cross with a crown of 
thorns upon His brow." 

"We would not permit anything like 
that to happen to our Savior," replied 
Peter, and at that moment satan crept in 
trying to tempt Christ to let His disciples 
save Him from such a fate. But Jesus 
ordered the devil away with these words, 
"get thee from behind Me, satan," and to 



184 True Spirit Return 

His apostles He replied, "suffer that it 
be so that the ransom for souls might be 
paid." When they had gone but a little 
ways there came running after them a 
man and knelt at Jesus 's feet, saying: 
' ' Good Lord and Master, what can I do to 
inherit eternal life?" 

"Hast thou kept the commandments 1 ' ' 
questioned Christ. 

"From my youth up," answered the 
young man. 

Jesus looked at him and loved him. 
"Son," He said, "there is one thing thou 
lackest. Sell all that thou hast and give 
it to the poor. Then take up thy cross, 
and follow me," but the young man 
turned away, grieved, for he had great 
possessions. 

"How hard it is, children," said Christ 
in sorrowful tones, "for the rich to enter 
the kingdom of heaven." 

"Who then can be saved!" questioned 
Peter, in a troubled voice. I follow thee 
and observe the commandments," he con- 
continued, "but I have not sold all my 
possessions, nor have I given up my fam- 
ily for Thee." 

"There is no man living who has given 



True Spirit Return 185 

up father, mother, brother and sister, 
wife and children, all for Me," Christ re- 
plied. 

"How then, is it possible for anyone 
to be saved?" asked the disciples. 

"With man, many things seem impos- 
sible, bnt with God, all things are pos- 
sible," Christ replied. 

The Savior then left them, and went on 
His way to Capernaum. When the dis- 
ciples were alone together, they argued 
among themselves as to which should be 
the greatest after Christ had left them. 
When Jesus returned, He asked them 
what big discussion had they been holding 
in His absence, but they were ashamed 
to tell Him. 

"Know ye that he that is first shall be 
last, and he that is last shall be first, and 
the greatest among you is the least, for he 
that serveth the world in My name is a 
servant of the Lord, and greater than the 
ones He has served." 

Even so does the son of man; for even 
the son of man came not to be ministered 
unto but to minister, and to give his life 
a ransom for many. — St. Mark x, 45. 



186 True Spirit Return 

When they had traveled to Bethany, 
close to the Mount of Olives, Jesus told 
His twelve disciples that He was going 
into Jerusalem, and He sent two of His 
apostles to go to a village near by, and 
to get a colt that no man had ridden, 
and to unloose him, and bring him to 
where they were stopping. 

' l They will ask of you, why are you 
taking him away, and your must answer, 
that the Lord and Master hath need of 
him, and they will say no more." 

The two apostles went to the village as 
Jesus had demanded to them, and found 
the colt hitched to a house where two 
roads met, and they unfastened him. 
Just as the Lord had said, a man standing 
near by questioned them, thus: "Why 
are you unhitching him?" "The Master 
hath need of him," they answered, and 
the disciples were permitted to carry the 
colt away without further words. They 
returned with him to Christ, and throwing 
their garments over his back, the Lord 
mounted him and rode away. The dis- 
ciples walked at His side, and the multi- 
tude followed them, some going ahead and 
others behind, and they shouted, "Hosan- 



True Spirit Return 187 

na, to the Son of King David, and Lord 
from heaven. Hosanna, in the highest," 
they sang. Some threw garments in the 
path of the Savior for His colt to tread 
upon, and others plucked branches from 
the trees and spread them before Him. 
Thus Christ, accompanied by His apostles 
and a multitude of people who loved and 
worshipped Him, made His entry into the 
City of Jerusalem on a colt that no man 
had ever ridden before. Jesus went into 
the holy temple, and found that the scribes 
and high priests were desecrating this 
sacred place, for they were buying and 
selling there the things they ought not. 
Christ overturned the moneychanger's 
tables, and would not permit anyone to go 
out with doves or silver cups which the 
scribes and high priests had sold them. 
To the .scribes and priests he said, "the 
holy temple of G-od is, and always will be, 
the house of prayer, but you have made 
it a den of thieves." 

The scribes, Pharisees and high priests 
were so angry with Jesus that they sought 
among themselves how they might kill 
Him, but they were afraid of the people. 
So the Savior passed out unharmed, for 



188 True Spirit Return 

His time had not yet come. The disciples 
and Himself went from there to Bethany, 
and they spent the entire day and night 
in this village. It was eventide when they 
journeyed forth from there, and Jesns 
having not eaten since He left Jerusalem 
was exceedingly hungry. Seeing a fig 
tree from a distance with leaves upon it 
they went over to where it stood, hoping 
that they might find fruit, but the time for 
figs had not come. "No man shall ever 
eat figs from thee any more, in the pres- 
ent or future," said Christ to the tree. 
They then returned to the holy city of 
Jerusalem, and Jesus went again into 
the temple of God, and the scribes and 
high priests came to Him, and said, "by 
what authority did You overturn our 
money tables V 9 

"I will answer your question," Jesus 
replied, "if you will answer Mine. Did 
John the Baptist baptize with power from 
God or man?" questioned Christ. 

They were afraid to say "with power 
from heaven" for fear that He would 
say "why did ye not believe?" And they 
feared not to say that the power was from 
John the Baptist, for many of the people 



True Spirit Return 189 

had great faith in this prophet, so they 
answered "we cannot tell." 

"Then," replied Jesus, "I cannot tell 
why I did these things in the temple which 
yon complain about." 

The Savior passed ont again unharmed, 
although they would have liked very much 
to destroy Him. He and His twelve dis- 
ciples then went back to the little town 
of Bethany. On their way they passed 
the fig tree that Jesus Christ had cursed, 
and it had withered away to the ground. 

"Look, Lord," exclaimed Peter, "the 
fig tree that Thou cursedst is dead ! What 
shall we do after Thou art gone?" he 
questioned of Christ. 

' ' Your heavenly Father will send a com- 
forter to take My place when I am gone 
— the Holy Ghost — and he will guide and 
remind you of My teachings. But verily, 
I say unto you, have faith in God and 
prayer, for it is written that if two or 
more are gathered together in My name, 
and pray for a certain thing, and have 
faith, it .shall come to pass," continued 
Christ, as we find it in the 23d and 24th 
verses of the 11th chapter of St. Mark, 
as follows: 



190 True Spirit Return 

For verily I say unto you, that who- 
soever shall say unto this mountain, Be 
thou removed, and he thou cast into the 
sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but 
shall believe that those things which he 
saith shall come to pass; he shall have 
whatsoever he saith. 

Therefore I say unto you, What things 
soever ye desire when ye pray, believe 
that ye receive them, and ye shall have 
them. 

' ' When ye pray/' said the Savior, "do 
not forget to ask God to help yon, to for- 
give those who have trespassed against 
yon. For if yon are not willing to for- 
give, how can yon expect to be forgiven 
by yonr Father in heaven ?" 

As Christ and His apostles were sitting 
up against the treasure house of the 
Lord, there were many rich ones who 
threw in large sums of money, but finally 
a poor widow came along and placed in 
the box two pence. There were some 
standing near by who scoffed and laughed 
at this small amount, but Christ reproved 
them, saying, "she hath given more than 
the rest, for it is all that she hath, but the 



True Spirit Return 191 

rich have given out of their plenty, and 
will not miss it." They went on a little 
farther and the crowd followed, and Jesns 
Christ paused to preach the gospel to 
them, for it was close to His last days on 
earth. The scribes and high priests, 
anxious to confuse the Savior and get 
something against him that they might 
have Him arrested and thrown into pris- 
on, brought a woman before Him, and 
stood her in their midst. "Behold, here 
is a woman who has sinned grievously 
and broken one of the ten commandments. 
Did you say that Moses ordered, accord- 
ing to the law, that such as she should be 
stoned?" questioned the scribes and chief 
priests. 

Christ, seeing the wickedness of their 
hearts, answered them wisely, "which 
one among you is guiltless let him cast the 
first stone?" And they all hung their 
heads, for they were conscience-stricken, 
and one by one, even to the eldest, left 
the place and Jesus Was alone with the 
woman. 

"Sister," He said, "has any man ac- 
cused you of breaking this command- 
ment?" 



192 True Spirit Return 

"No, Lord," she replied. 

"Then go and sin no more," Christ 
commanded her. "Thy sins are forgiven 
thee," he said. When Peter, Andrew, 
James and John got an opportunity they 
called the Savior away from the crowd 
and other disciples to ask a few questions 
of Him on the qniet. 

"Lord, what did yon mean in your ser- 
mon, "By the destruction of the temple," 
and "the judgment of Christ?" they ques- 
tioned Him. 

"Do you see this temple of stone, and 
these massive buildings?" Christ asked 
of them as He sat down on the side of 
Mount of Olives, and leaned His back 
against the walls of the temple. "In that 
day, when the Son of God shall return to 
sift the wheat from the chaff, not one of 
those stones will you find standing. Close 
to that time, false prophets will rise up 
in My name, and also false Christs will 
attempt to lure you into believing it is 
I. Men will deceive you in those days, if 
they can, but heed them not. There shall 
be wars and rumors of wars and divers 
happenings. Nations shall rise up against 
nations, and kingdoms against kingdoms, 



True Spirit Return 193 

but be not troubled, for the time of judg- 
ment is not yet come. These shall be sor- 
rowful times, for there shall be plagues 
and famines throughout the world. Ye, 
who are righteous, shall be hated and per- 
secuted for My sake; but remain faithful 
unto the end and ye shall be saved. They 
may even bring you before the courts, 
but be not troubled, nor even think what 
words either before or then ye shall say, 
for the Holy Ghost, that the Father hath 
sent from above, shall be in you, and shall 
speak the truth for you. 

' ' Brothers shall rise up against brothers 
to have them killed, children against 
parents, and parents against children. 
Never in the history of the world, either 
before or after the earth was first cre- 
ated, is there known to be such sorrows, 
trials and tribulations. Then the sun and 
moon will refuse to give their light and 
the stars will fall. The heavens will be 
shaken, and then ye shall know that the 
judgment day is at hand. The son of 
God and the son of man will come in all 
His glory, wrapped in a cloud of light, 
and He will send His angels to the four 
winds of the earth to gather them up 



194 True Spirit Return 

from the uttermost parts of the world to 
the uttermost parts of heaveu. 

"The return of Christ, my dear dis- 
ciples is likened unto the parable of the 
fig tree," said Jesus. "When you see 
fresh, green leaves upon it, you know that 
summer is nigh at hand. When you see 
these signs that I have told you about, you 
will know that the judgment of Christ is 
near at hand, even at the door, but the 
moment or the hour or the day, no man 
knoweth, not even the angels in heaven, 
nor the Son of God, but the Father, alone. 

"When the Son of God is crucified, and 
risen from the dead, the third day He 
goeth to His heavenly Father. It is like, 
when I leave this world, unto a man who 
goes forth on a long journey, and he in- 
structs his servants and porter to have 
the house in order, for he knows not the 
hour that he may return, whether at morn, 
at eve, or at midnight. So he leaves his 
command to watch, lest he find them 
sleeping. And unto you, My dear dis- 
ciples, and the world at large, I say. 
Watch, lest the Son of God returns at 
any moment and find you sleeping on that 
great and awful day." 



True Spirit Return 195 

It was two days until the Passover, 
and the scribes, chief priest and the elders 
of the people had met at the palace of 
Caiaphas, the high priest, to consult how 
they might kill Christ by craft. They 
said, it would not do to kill Him on the 
day of the Passover on account of the 
people, for they would rise up in rebel- 
lion against it. In Bethany, at that time, 
Christ and His twelve disciples were eat- 
ing at the home of Simon, the leper, when 
a woman came with an alabaster box, full 
of precious ointment, and breaking it open 
she poured the entire contents on His 
head. 

"What waste," the disciples exclaimed 
indignantly, "she could have sold the 
ointment for three hundred pence, and 
given the money to the poor." 

"Blame her not, or murmur against 
her," commanded Jesus, "for she hath 
wrought a good deed, and verily, I say, 
that wheresoever the gospel shall be 
preached in all parts of the world, this 
what she has done will be told as a memo- 
rial of her, for she hath anointed before- 
hand, My body, for burying." 

"As for the poor," continued Christ, 



196 True Spirit Return 

"ye have thein with you always, to do 
good whenever you wish, but Me you 
have hut a little while." 

When Jesus had ceased to speak, there 
rose one of the twelve apostles, named 
Judas Iscariot, and went to the palace of 
the high priest, where they were plotting 
against the life of Jesus Christ. 

"What will you give me," he asked, 
"if I deliver him unto you." 

They promised Judas thirty pieces of 
silver if he would get the Savior into 
their hands by craft, and from that time 
on Judas Iscariot sought an opportunity 
to betray Christ. When it was the day 
of unleavened bread the disciples asked 
the Savior where they should prepare the 
feast of the Passover so that they might 
eat it together. Jesus selected two of His 
apostles to go to the city, and said to 
them, "you will see a man carrying a 
pitcher, follow him, and when he enters 
the house say to him, "my good man, 
where is the guest room! My Lord and 
Master wishes to eat the Passover supper 
at your home with His disciples, and he 
will show you a large upper room with 
everything already prepared." "Come, 



True Spirit Return 197 

then, and let us know, that we may re- 
turn immediately and partake of the 
Passover. " The two apostles went to the 
city and found the place, and that it was 
as the Lord had told them, so they re- 
turned for the rest. It was evening when 
Christ and His disciples reached the house 
where they were to eat the Feast of the 
Passover, afterwards called The Lord's 
Supper, which has been kept in all the 
Christian churches since that time. For 
it was the last supper they had eaten 
together before His crucifixion, and was 
accompanied by a feeling of deep sadness. 

"Do this in memory of Me," He said 
to His disciples, and the remainder of the 
Christian world now and forever after, 
"lest ye forget the agony that the Son of 
God and the Son of Man went through 
for your sakes. The bread represents 
My Body, that shall be nailed upon the 
Cross, and the wine My blood, that shall 
be shed for you that your soul may have 
eternal life." 

Jesus Christ and His twelve disciples 
sat down at the table together, and the 
Savior took the bread and blessed it and 
breaking it up, passed it to them. "Take, 



198 True Spirit Return 

eat," He said, "for this is My body." 
He then gave thanks, and ponring ont 
the wine passed it to the apostles. "Take, 
drink," He said, "for this is My blood. 
Verily, I ,say unto thee, there is one 
among you who shall betray Me," Jesus 
told His twelve disciples. 

"Is it I Lord, is it IV And another 
asked, "Is it I!" 

"The one who dippeth with Me in the 
dish," Jesus Christ replied. "The Son 
of man must go, as it is written, but woe 
unto that man who betrays Him," uttered 
the Savior. "It would be better that He 
had never been born." 

After they had sung a hymn, Jesus and 
His apostles went up on the Mount of 
Olives to rest and pray. "This night I 
will do that which will cause you to be 
offended with me," Christ announced sad- 
ly. "I will smite the shepherd, and the 
sheep will be scattered, but on the third 
day I will go before you into Galilee." 
"I will not get offended with Thee," said 
Simon Peter, "though all the rest may. 
I love You so, that I would lay down my 
life for Thee," he added vehemently. 



True Spirit Return 199 

"Neither will I get angry with You, 
Lord," they all chimed in. 

Jesus turned His attention to Peter, 
and said, " verily, I say unto you, Simon 
Peter, this night before the cock has 
crowed twice you will deny Me thrice.' ' 

"No, Lord, I could not do that," an- 
swered Peter, and he repeated his asser- 
tion that he would die for Him. The 
Savior then took Peter, James and John 
and went to the garden of Gethsemane, 
that He might pray to His heavenly 
Father for strength and courage for the 
coming hours of agony. For His body 
seemed to have suddenly grown heavy 
and weary, and His soul was sorrowful 
unto death. Great drops like drops of 
blood, stood out upon His brow. 

"Tarry here, and rest," Christ said to 
His disciples, "while I go alone to pray." 

And Jesus went a little distance off, 
and dropping on His knees, lifted His 
voice in prayer to the almighty God, and 
these were His words in this moment of 
anguish. And he said, Abba, Father, all 
things are possible unto thee; take away 
this cup from me; nevertheless not what I 



200 True Spirit Return 

will, hut what Thou wilt. St. Mark xiv, 
36. 

When the Savior returned He found 
them sleeping. 

" Simon Peter/' He said, "couldst thou 
not have watched one hour longer! Watch 
and pray lest ye yield to temptation, ' 9 
cautioned Christ of His disciples. "The 
spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is 
weak. ' ' 

But they were deep in slumber and did 
not hear or answer Him, so Jesus walked 
away, and prayed again to the heavenly 
Father. When He returned they were 
still asleep, and He repeated to them 
what He said before, but their lids were 
closed heavily over their eyes and they 
knew not what the Savior had spoken. 
So Christ left them again to pray, and 
when He return a third time and found 
them still wrapped in slumber He said, 
"Sleep on now and get your rest; it is 
enough; behold the hour has come when 
the Son of Man has been betrayed into 
the hands of sinners." 

"Come, arise, and let us go hence," de- 



True Spirit Return 201 

manded Jesus. "Lo, the man by whose 
hand I have been betrayed is here." 

And no sooner had Christ spoken than 
Judas, one of the twelve appeared with a 
multitude, who were armed with swords 
and staves, and the chief priests, scribes 
and elders of the people were along. 
Judas hastened forward to greet our 
Savior, and kissed Him, saying at the 
same time, ' ' Master, Master, ' ' For he had 
said to the enemy, "whosoever I kiss that 
will be as a token that it is Christ. Take 
Him away in safety to the palace of the 
high priest." 

When Judas had betrayed the Son of 
Man with a kiss the multitude laid rough 
hands upon Him and took Him away. 
There was one in the crowd who cut off 
the ear of one of the servants of the high 
priest with his sword. He did so, be- 
cause his indignation against the mob 
who were taking Jesus from them knew 
no bounds. But Christ told him to put up 
his sword for those who fought with the 
sword should die by one. To those who 
were leading Him away, Jesus said, 
"Know ye that were I to send up a peti- 
tion to My heavenly Father to be deliv- 



202 True Spirit Return 

ered from your hands He would send 
more than twelve legions of angels to My 
aid, but the time is not far when I will be 
with Him in His kingdom of Glory, so 
suffer it to be so, that the Scriptures 
might be fulfilled, and the souls of men 
might be saved." 

"Why come with your swords and 
staves to take Me as though I were a 
thief in the night ?" questioned the Savior. 
"Was I not daily in your temples, preach- 
ing and teaching, and healing the sick? 
And ye took me not then, but that which 
is written must be fulfilled." 

And they all forsook Him and -fled. 
—St. Mark xiv, 50. 

Here we find one of the shortest but 
saddest verses in the Bible, one wrought 
with meaning, and that strikes to the 
heart with a pathetic thrill. 

Yes, in His hour of need they had left 
Him. His disciples, who but a short while 
ago had declared their love for the Savior, 
and had proclaimed their willingness to 
die for Him, had, in a moment of fright, 
deserted their Friend at sight of the 
enemy. There is no doubt, though, that 



True Spirit Return 203 

Christ, understanding, had already in His 
heart forgiven the eleven apostles. But 
Judas, the betrayer of the Son of God? 
His doom is sealed by the almighty pow- 
ers from heaven. They carried Christ to 
the palace of the high priest to be tried 
by him, the scribes, chief priests and 
elders. They sent ont to get witnesses 
that they might condemn Christ to death, 
but conld find none, that is, no two that 
agreed even on false statements. Finally, 
there were two witnesses who swore false- 
ly against the Savior by saying that they 
had heard Him say that He conld destroy 
the temple of God, that was bnilt with 
hands and build one without hands, but 
their statements did not agree, but the 
high priest held that against the Savior 
as he could get nothing else. The high 
priest stood up in their midst and said to 
Jesus, ' 'nearest Thou what these wit- 
nesses say against Thee? Hast Thou 
nothing to answer them?" 

But Jesus was silent. 

"Art Thou Christ, the Son of the 
Blessed?" question the high priest. 

"I am Jesus," Christ replied, "and 
thou shalt see Me sitting at the right hand 



204 True Spirit Return 

of power, and descending in a clond of 
glory from heaven.' ' 

And the high priest rent his garments 
at these words. "Hear ye Him? Hear 
Him blaspheme? Hear Him say that He 
is the Son of God? What need we of 
further witnesses V 9 

And they all pronounced Him guilty, 
and condemned Him to death. They 
bound Him with ropes, for on the mor- 
row they were to take Him before Pilate, 
the Governor, for a second trial, for with- 
out his consent they could do nothing. 
The multitude then spat upon Him, and 
covered His face, and buffeted Him, and 
the scribes, chief priests and Pharisees 
mocked at Him, saying, " prophesy !" and 
the servants of the high priest slapped 
Him on the face. Simon Peter had followed 
the Savior at a distance, even into the 
palace of the high priest, and when the 
trial of Christ was going on he was down 
below warming his hands by the fire with 
the servants. Finally, a maid of the high 
priest looked at Peter and said, "Wast 
thou not one who was with Jesus of 
Nazareth !" 

"No, I was not," answered Simon 



True Spirit Return 205 

Peter. "I understand not what you 
mean," he added. 

He then went out on the porch and the 
cock crowed. A little later on the maid 
came out on the porch where Simon Peter 
was, and to those standing near she said, 
"does he not look like one of them?" 
When they agreed with the maid, Peter 
declared he knew nothing of this man, 
and for the second time he denied Christ. 

"But," persisted some of them, "we 
know that you are a Galilean for your 
speech betrays you, so you must be one 
of the followers of Jesus." But Peter 
denied Christ a third time, saying with a 
curse that he knew nothing of this man. 
And immediately the cock crowed a sec- 
ond time, and then Simon Peter was re- 
minded of his Savior's words, "before 
the cock crows twice thou shalt deny Me 
thrice, and when he thought of what he 
had done he went out into the night and 
wept bitterly. When it was morn, the 
scribes, chief priests, and elders, met at 
the palace of the high priest to consult 
on the best methods of putting the case 
of our Savior before Pilate, so that there 
could be no chance of His not being sen- 



206 True Spirit Return 

tenced to death. While they were plotting 
and planning the best way to get rid of 
onr Lord and Savior, there came running 
to the palace a man breathless and white, 
and threw thirty pieces of silver at their 
feet. 

"Take it," he exclaimed. "I have sold 
the blood of an innocent man." 

It was Judas Iscariot. He had re- 
pented his deed when he had found out 
that Christ had been condemned to die. 
Judas was already suffering for his sin, 
red-hot coals of remorse, the punishment 
that the almighty God frequently sends 
on the transgressor. After he had left 
the thirty pieces of silver with the scribes 
and other conspirators, Judas Iscariot, 
his soul torn by his own black deed, goes 
out and hangs himself. Then the high 
priest who had answered Judas when he 
had said "I have sold innocent blood," 
"What's that to us? See to it," he 
commanded, "that you don't betray us." 

Though the sin of Judas was deep, it 
was nothing to compare with the cold- 
blooded, heartless cruelty of the high 
priest, scribes, chief priests and elders, 
and the multitude who were influenced by 



True Spirit Return 207 

the former in their handling of Jesus 
Christ in His trial and crucifixion. Bnt 
they had no sooner started to discuss 
what they should do with the thirty pieces 
of silver, than the man, Judas Iscariot, to 
whom they had just been speaking, was 
dead by his own hand, but unknown to 
them. 

"It is unlawful to put silver that is 
the price of blood in the treasury," they 
said, after a consultation they decided to 
buy a Potter's field with the money to 
bury strangers in, and it was called the 
Field of Blood, and is known by that 
name to this day. 

When the high priest, scribes and elders 
had bound Christ again they, with the 
multitude, took Him to Pilate, the Gov- 
ernor, for His second trial. And when 
Jesus stood before Pilate, He was asked 
by him, ' i Art Thou the king of the Jews 1 ' ' 

"Thou sayest it," Christ replied. 

The scribes and high priests told many 
untruths about the Savior to Pilate, the 
governor. 

"Hearest Thou what they witness 
against you?" he questioned of Jesus. 
But the Savior answered never a word, 



208 True Spirit Return 

and Pilate marveled greatly at this. Now, 
it happened that on feast day, the gov- 
ernor was in the habit of releasing a pris- 
oner to the people, whomsoever they 
wished. Along with Christ there was a 
prisoner, a noted criminal who had com- 
mitted murder. Pilate, seeing that they 
had brought Christ for enmity, and wished 
him destroyed for the same reason, hoped 
that when he put the question before them 
as to which he should free, Barabbas, the 
murderer, or Jesus, they would say, 
" Barabbas." But the scribes and elders 
persuaded the multitude to choose the 
criminal instead. 

Now, when Pilate was seated on his 
judgment throne, his wife sent a message 
to him saying, "have nothing to do with 
that just man, for I have suffered much 
in a dream because of Him." 

"Which of the two shall I deliver unto 
you for freedom, Jesus, which is called 
Christ, or Barabbas?" Pilate questioned 
of the people. 

"Barabbas," they cried, and Pilate was 
sorrowful. 

"Why, what evil has Jesus done!" he 
questioned of them. 



True Spirit Return 209 

But they called out again, "free us 
Barabbas." 

"What," asked the governor, "do you 
wish done with Jesus V 9 

"Crucify Him," they yelled. 

Again Pilate repeated, "what evil has 
this man done unto you?" 

But they cried the louder, "crucify 
Him." 

Then Pilate, the governor, seeing that 
they were growing wild, and into a mob, 
and that he could do nothing with them, 
took water and washed his hands before 
the multitude. 

"I," said he, "wash my hands of the 
blood of this just person. See ye to it 
that my name is cleared," he added. 

"His blood is on our heads, and the 
heads of our children," they all cried. 

Then Pilate delivered Barabbas unto 
them to be freed, and Jesus to be crucified. 
"When the soldiers of the governor had 
scourged Christ, they took Him to the 
common hall, and gathered the other band 
of soldiers there. The multitude and the 
scribes and elders were there also. They 
took His raiment off, and clothed Him in 
scarlet. They platted a crown of thorns 



210 True Spirit Return 

and placed it upon His head. They put 
a reed in His right hand, and bowed the 
head and knelt in mock worship, saying, 
"hail, king of the Jews." 

And then the scribes and chief priests 
said, "prophesy I" and took the reed 
from His hand and smote Him across the 
face with it. The soldiers then took the 
scarlet robe of! and replaced his own gar- 
ment upon Him. They then led Him out 
to be crucified. On the road they were 
met by a man named Simon, and he was 
from Cyrene. Christ was so faint and 
weak from what He had undergone, and 
from fasting, that He was unable to carry 
His own cross so they compelled this man 
to carry it for Him. What a blessed 
honor was this, the bearing of the cross 
for Christ! When they had reached a 
place called Golgotha, meaning the place 
of the skull, they offered Christ vinegar 
and gall mingled together on a sponge 
that had been placed on a reed, and 
handed it to Him in this manner. He 
tasted of this horrible mixture, but al- 
though He was extremely thirsty He 
could not drink it for the bitterness 
therein. At the third hour Christ was 



True Spirit Return 211 

crucified. They took His garments and 
divided them, casting lots over them, that 
the words of the prophets might come to 
pass. The multitude then sat down and 
watched Him. His accusation was written 
in large letters over His head, "This is 
Jesus, the king of the Jews." 

Two thieves were crucified with Christ, 
one on either side, that it might be as 
the prophets had written, He was num- 
bered with the transgressors. Those that 
passed wagged their heads at Him, and 
scoffed at Him, calling out, "Hail, king of 
the Jews." The chief priests, scribes and 
elders mocked at Him saying, "Oh, Thou, 
that destroyest a temple, and makest it 
in three days, come down from there. Oh 
Thou king of Israel, save Thyself, so that 
we shall believe that Thou art the Savior. 
He can save others, but Himself He can- 
not save," they said mockingly. "Let 
Him call on God," sneered some of the 
Pharisees. "That is, if God will have 
Him. He claims to be His son, and to 
trust in Him," they added, scornfully. 
The two thieves cast the same mockery in 
His teeth. 

About the sixth hour Jesus Christ called 



212 True Spirit Return 

out in His agony, "My God, My God, 
why hast Thou forsaken Me?" Then 
some said, "He is calling for Elias," 
while others dipped the sponge in vinegar 
and gall and placing it on a reed handed it 
to Christ, bnt He could not drink of this 
bitter mixture. "Let Him alone, and see 
if Elias will come and save Him," they 
called out mockingly. 

From the sixth to the ninth hour of 
Christ's suffering the world was suddenly 
wrapped in darkness. About the ninth 
hour, Jesus called out again with a loud 
voice, and then gave up the ghost. The 
vail of the temple was rent in twain from 
top to bottom, and there was a terrific 
earthquake, and enormous rocks were 
torn asunder, and some of the graves 
opened, and the dead saints arose, and 
after the resurrection went into the Holy 
City and were seen by many. 

Here we have another illustration of 
spirit return as we find it in the 52d and 
53d verses of the 27th chapter of St. 
Matthew, as follows: 

And the graves were opened: and many 
bodies of the saints which slept, arose. 



True Spirit Return 213 

And came out of the graves after His 
resurrection, and went into the Holy City, 
and appeared unto many. 

Now, there was a centurion who, with a 
crowd of others, were leaning against the 
walls of the temple watching Christ, and 
when His spirit took flight, and at that 
moment the vail was rent in twain, and 
the earth did tremble, they were greatly 
afraid, saying, "This was truly the son of 
God." 

There were many women beholding 
Jesus from afar off. They had followed 
Him from Galilee for the purpose of min- 
istering unto Him. Among these were 
Mary Magdalene, from whom the Savior 
had cast seven devils, and Mary, the 
mother of James and Joses, and the 
mother of Zebedee's children. When 
it was even, there came a very rich man 
named Joseph, who was also a disciple of 
Christ. He went to Pilate, the governor, 
and begged of him to give him the body 
of Jesus Christ. Pilate commanded that 
the body of our Savior be taken down and 
placed in the possession of this kind and 
wealthy friend of the persecuted. So 



214 True Spirit Return 

when Joseph had received the body of 
Christ he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 
and pnt it in his own new tomb that had 
been hewn ont of the rock, and rolling an 
immense stone against the entrance of the 
sepnlcher he departed. Mary Magdalene 
and the other Mary were sitting up against 
the tomb when Joseph left. On the morn- 
ing following the day of preparations the 
chief priests and Pharisees went to Pilate 
and said, "we remember that that de- 
ceiver said, when He was yet alive, 'I will 
be buried, but on the third day I will 
rise again from the dead.' Now, lest His 
disciples steal Him away by night, and 
claim that He had risen from the dead, 
and the last error be worse than the first, 
we beseech thee to command that the tomb 
of Jesus be guarded until that time is 
past." 

"You have keepers at your disposal," 
said the governor, ' ' to watch the sepulcher 
of Jesus. Make it as secure as possible. 
There have already been keepers out there 
since the body was placed in its tomb." 

So, after taking a few extra soldiers 
along to make matters doubly sure, so that 
the body of Christ could not be taken 



True Spirit Return 215 

away, and not contented with this, they 
sealed up the tomb of Jesus. 

On the following morn, when Jesus 
Christ had been in his tomb three days, 
there was a terrible earthquake, for the 
angel of the Lord had descended from 
heaven and rolled away the stone from 
the tomb of Christ and was sitting upon 
it. His countenance was like lightning, 
and His raiment was as white as snow. 
The keepers did shake for fear of Him, 
and were as dead men. There came in 
the early morning hour Mary Magdalene 
and the other Mary to see the sepulcher. 
"Fear not," said the angel to the women, 
"for I know that you have come to see 
Jesus who was crucified, but He has risen 
as He said He would. Behold the place 
where the Lord rested. Now, go quickly, 
and tell His disciples," commanded the 
angel. "Say that the Savior has risen 
from the dead and will meet them in 
Galilee as He had promised, and for them 
to hasten thither." Mary Magdalene and 
the other Mary were amazed at what they 
had seen and heard, but they hurried 
quickly with great fear and joy, to break 



216 True Spirit Return 

the glad news to the sorrowing disciples. 
But they met Jesus on the way. 

" Hail, Mary," He said, and they caught 
Jesus by the feet and worshiped Him. 

"Be not afraid," Christ said to them, 
"but hasten to My brethren and tell them 
that I am risen from the dead, and will 
meet them in Galilee, as I promised to do 
just before My crucifixion." 

So Mary Magdalene hastened on ahead, 
where she found the disciples weeping 
and mourning for the Savior. "Grieve 
not," she said, "for Jesus has risen from 
the dead, as He told us He would, for I 
saw and talked with Him," but they be- 
lieved her not. There were two others 
who lived in the country to whom Christ 
appeared, but in a different form. They 
recognized Him, and rushed to the residue 
to tell them that were there about it, but 
they believed them not. Jesus next ap- 
peared to His disciples and surprised 
them while they were sitting at meat in 
Galilee, and He upbraided them for their 
lack of faith and non-belief. 

"When Mary told you that she had seen 
Me, why did you not believe her?" Jesus 
Christ questioned of them. "And did I 



True Spirit Return 217 

not tell you that I would rise again on the 
third day?" 

They then rose, and fell on their knees 
and worshiped Him, but there were some 
who saw Christ and still doubted that it 
was He, for we have the proof of this 
fact, strange as it may seem, in the 17th 
verse of the 28th chapter of St. Matthew, 
as follows: 

And ivhen they saw Him they worshiped 
Him; out some doubted. 

And so it was in ages past that there 
were always some to doubt, even when 
everything has been proven, and it is held 
plainly before their very eyes. "We have 
that same trouble today. We still have 
those who doubt this and that, no matter 
how strong the argument may be, or how 
well proven. There are even those who 
doubt the Bible, which is the foundation 
of all beliefs, scientifically, historically, 
and religiously. 

There are even those who do not be- 
lieve in the existence of a God, as power- 
ful and almighty as He has proven Him- 
self to be. This class of people are 
called skeptics, but there are other classes 



218 True Spirit Return 

of persons whom we might term skeptics 
also. These believe in God and the Bible, 
bnt thy do not think it possible for sonls 
to return after leaving this earth. We 
might term the last named as skeptics on 
spiritualistic doctrines. "We have much 
to contend with in that line before we 
can spread the grand and glorious teach- 
ings of Spiritualism to the four corners 
of the world. Doubt, written in great big 
capital letters. But let us leave the 
skeptics to their own fate for a little 
while and tarry with our Savior, who has 
just risen from His tomb after being 
buried three days. Let us pause at His 
side until He is gathered up to sit in 
glory on the right hand of the throne. 
But we have this comforting assurance 
and proof of spirit return by our Savior 
in these words, as we find them in the 
20th verse of the 28th chapter of St. 
Matthew, as follows: 

And lo, I am with you alway, even unto 
the end of the world. Amen. 

When Christ had surprised His disciples 
by suddenly appearing before them, He 
made an appointment with the eleven that 



True Spirit Return 219 

He wished to meet them on a certain 
mountain in Galilee, for He had a few in- 
structions to give them before ascending 
to His Father in heaven. But in the 
meantime, while Mary Magdalene was on 
her way to break the glad tidings to the 
disciples, the soldiers who had been guard- 
ing the tomb of Jesus for the chief priests, 
scribes, and elders went to them and told 
them what had happened. When the 
elders and others found out the truth 
about Christ's resurrection they were 
amazed, dumbfounded. They all met at 
the palace of the high priest and had a 
consultation over the matter, and when 
they had come to a decision they called in 
the soldiers who had guarded the tomb of 
Jesus, and said, "we will give you large 
sums of money if you will say, the dis- 
ciples came and stole Him away by night, 
while we were asleep, and if this gets to 
the governor's ears we will make it all 
right with him." And to this day it is 
a common saying among the Jews that 
Christ was stolen away by His disciples 
while the keepers slept, as we find it in 
the Holy Book, as follows: 



220 True Spirit Return 

And when they were assembled with the 
elders, and had taken counsel, they gave 
large sums of money unto the soldiers, 

Saying, say ye, His disciples came by 
night and stole him away, while ive slept. 
—St. Matthew xxviii, 12, 13. 

So they took the money and did as they 
were taught; and this saying is commonly 
reported among the Jews until this day. 
— St. Matthew xxviii, 15. 

And as the Scriptures tell us, the sol- 
diers accepted the money and spread the 
last-named report around. 

When the Savior met His disciples on a 
mountain-top, in Galilee, He spoke these 
words unto them: "All power is given 
to Me from the heavenly Father above. 
A portion of this power will I extend to 
those who believe, love and follow me. 
But they must be baptized as I myself 
was, in accordance with the laws of the 
almighty God, and now that I have been 
crucified and risen again, that the world 
might be redeemed, in acknowledgment of 
Me, baptize in the name of the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I would 



True Spirit Return 221 

have of you to spread the gospel to every 
nation. And to those who believe in Me 
and are baptized and try to follow My 
teachings and commandments, I will give 
to them a certain power, especially if they 
are preaching, or instructing, verbally or 
written truths about My heavenly Father, 
the Son, or the Holy Ghost, or it may be 
of the narrow path that leads to the 
eternal city. If they do these things in 
My name, I will enable them to combine 
works, teachings and signs together, such 
as casting out devils or evil spirits, the 
healing of the sick by the laying on of 
hands, and other wonders.' ' 

We have every reason to believe that 
the power that was given to the disciples, 
long centuries past, extend into the pres- 
ent, for now and then we see wonderful 
manifestations of it. But what we need 
in the present time is more faith and less 
of doubts, and more of the spirit of 
Spiritualism, and then we would be sur- 
prised to find out how many wonderful 
things we could do in Christ's name. We 
find the proof of this God-given promise 
of power from Christ to those who be- 



222 True Spirit Return 

lieve, trust and obey Him; and the fact is 
mentioned that the apostles continued to 
perform many miracles even after Christ 
had ascended to His throne in heaven, 
namely : 

And these signs shall follow them that 
believe: In my name shall they cast out 
devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 

They shall take up serpents; and if 
they drink any deadly thing, it shall not 
hurt them; they shall lay hands on the 
sick, and they shall recover/' 

—St. Mark xvi, 17, 18. 

And they went forth and preached 
everywhere, the Lord working with them, 
and confirming the word with signs fol- 
lowing. Amen. — St. Mark, xvi, 20. 

When Jesus Christ had finished these 
sayings He blessed His disciples, and bid- 
ding them farewell He slowly ascended up- 
ward from the mountain-tops of Galilee 
until He was lost in the white, fleecy 
clouds of heaven. What a beautiful pic- 
ture Christ slowly ascending to heaven 
and the apostles gazing wistfully after 
Him. Fancy their temporary grief when 



True Spirit Return 223 

the last of their Savior was lost to them 
beyond the vast canopy of blue. But only 
a short while did they mourn, and then 
of a sudden they felt the strange, silent, 
unseen form lingering very close to them, 
and it seemed to bring them wonderful 
consolation. 

And the silent voice seemed to whisper, 
"Lo, I am with you always, even unto the 
end of the world.' ' Yes; the spirit form 
of Christ had returned to His disciples, as 
He had promised them He would, to guide, 
comfort and strengthen them through life. 
Just so, today, the spirit form of Jesus 
comes to His followers on earth, pleading 
in His silent voice to forget not His 
teachings, and attempting to direct us for 
our good, and into paths that lead to the 
city of eternal happiness. And so it is our 
own dear loved ones come to us from be- 
yond the grave, beseeching us to recognize 
and permit them to help and guide us 
along with their spirit friend and brother 
Jesus Christ. Shall we turn a deaf ear 
and heart to the pleadings of these silent 
voices? Nor yet shall we forget the 
pathetically comforting words that come 



224 True Spirit Return 

echoing down to us through the stonj 
ages of time! 

Come unto me, all ye that labour, and 
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of 
me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; 
and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is 
light. —St. Matthew xi, 28-30. 



True Spirit Return 225 



SKEPTICS 

The world is full of what is called 
skepticisms of various kinds. Some, as I 
mentioned before, who do not believe in 
the Bible, and others not in the existence 
of a God, while there are many who do 
not think that there is a real, live devil, 
and there are those who cnt np the Holy 
Book to suit themselves, and take as evi- 
dence, for certain facts, what truths please 
themselves. Then there are some who, 
after a thorough research of the Bible, 
from beginning to end, and acknowledg- 
ing belief in every word of the Scriptures, 
claim that they do not believe in the im- 
mortality of the soul, and attempt to 
prove it by a book full of quotations from 
the Holy Word of God. But I must say 
that such long and continued argument 
only furnishes stronger proof that the 
soul is immortal, which means imperish- 
able, ever-living, never-dying, that never 
dies. 

For how can anyone reconcile the non- 
immortality of the soul with the resur- 



226 True Spirit Return 

rection of Christ and others, when man 
is the sonl and the sonl is not in man? 
For when the body decays and goes to 
dust, that would be the end of that body, 
if the body were the sonl, and there were 
not two distinct parts of man — the ontside 
shell, and the sonl within — which, accord- 
ing to the teachings of the Holy Book of 
God, reveal to ns that the sonl is im- 
mortal, imperishable, ever-living, never- 
dying. 

With all dne respect, I refer to Judge 
J. F. Eutherford. While I agree with 
him on many points I cannot agree with 
him on his declaration that the soul is not 
immortal; for this question is of too 
much vital importance to treat lightly, and 
not give it the deepest consideration. 

But let us follow up the subjects as we 
come to them, and give the last-named 
topic due attention later on. 

We were speaking of those who do not 
believe in the Bible at all. They call it a 
myth, a fairy tale, and ■ laugh and scorn 
at those who do believe in these holy 
words from God. Sometimes, they do not 
believe in the Divine Creator, but quite 
often they do, and when these non-be- 



True Spirit Return 227 

lievers are those willing to acknowledge 
the existence of an almighty God, they are 
always clammering for proofs that this 
Holy Book was dictated from God to the 
prophets, apostles, and Christian sages 
of olden times, to be handed down to the 
coming generations as a gnide book to 
heaven. They seem not to know that 
proofs are all aronnd them. Are they 
purposely blind or are they looking at 
this matter through the darkened glasses 
of ignorance? It is strange that anyone 
in this enlightened time and country 
should hold such a view. We often find 
this kind of skepticism among very in- 
telligent people, which makes it the more 
deplorable and inexcusable, and the harm- 
ful influence radiating from such persons 
would be greater and more disastrous, 
than from one less versed in knowledge. 
We frequently find that doubt concern- 
ing the true origin of the Bible is found 
among scientists, and even doctors of 
medicine, though I do not just know why 
this is true unless these classes of men 
reason out things to such a fine point 
that they reach the point of doubt and 
skepticism, which, of course, is a compli- 



228 True Spirit Return 

ment to the Lord, for His wonderful 
handiwork in creating such a perfect 
system, that through revolutions and 
changes everything seems to form itself, 
but this is no excuse for him. He should 
keep in mind that a higher power started 
and set this perfectly wonderful system 
in motion, and he would not get lost 
among his many deductions in the black 
and doubtful swamps of skepticism. But 
he comes out of the slush and mud of his 
conclusions bawling for proofs. 

To your right, Mister, is a great big 
proof called the miraculous preservation 
of the Bible by the hand of an almighty 
God through countless ages to the present 
time, and on your left is another proof — 
the strong corroboration between histori- 
cal and biblical facts; and another proof 
lies just behind you on the rocks, stones, 
and slabs of ancient times, in lands where 
Bible-records have been made in various 
languages and different places, but they 
all fit in, are the same, corroborate, as it 
were, and in front of you is another proof 
—the voice of nature calling softly the 
truths of the Bible. They are all around 
you, Mr. Skeptic, if you only choose to 



True Spirit Return 229 

open your eyes and look around. Let me 
tell you a little story which, according to 
chronicled events, is known to be true. 
Doubtless you have heard it before, but 
never attached much importance to it as 
containing proofs of truths of the Bible 
that lay hidden and preserved by the 
powerful will and hand of God until the 
beginning of the present century. By 
the fire-side of the Arabian home a story 
is told to the kiddies that sounds like a 
fairy tale but is true. It runs something 
like this: "In the days of old, A. D. 79, 
after Christ had been crucified, in the city 
of Pompeii, a maiden was suddenly ar- 
rested at the fountain, without a moment's 
warning, and turned into a marble statue. 
Likewise the guest in the hall was turned 
to stone, and the wanderer upon the 
streets was changed into a marble statue." 
The explanation of this strange affair 
can be accounted for by the fact that 
Pompeii was situated so close to the 
volcano, Mount Vesuvius, that when her 
crater overflowed, with its molten mass 
of fire, brimstone, lava, smoke and ashes, 
the city and its inhabitants had no warn- 
ing, no opportunity to escape its fiery 



230 True Spirit Return 

tongue, and the people were buried in- 
stantly as they walked, sat, or stood, or 
at any pursuit, this flame of seething fire 
found them, covering the bodies with 
ashes which preserved them, and through 
chemical process changed them into mar- 
ble or stone. Not until the year of 1748 
was this city excavated from its ashes of 
ruin, and not until the year of 1809 was a 
thorough search made of Pompeii, and it 
was discovered that beneath its buried 
depths lay secrets that had been hidden 
away, but which revealed and threw light 
upon many Bible truths that had hitherto 
been in darkness. For it must be remem- 
bered that the existence of the city of 
Pompeii was during the time of Christ 
and His apostles. 

The land of Egypt gives us many proofs 
that the Holy Word is true, and carries 
us back to the days of Moses, thousands 
of years ago. Owing to the dryness of 
the climate of this country everything is 
preserved to such a wonderful extent that 
they are as fresh and unharmed as they 
were thousands of years ago. In our 
American museums we find Egyptian 
mummies, of kings and queens, pictures, 



True Spirit Return 231 

statues, works of art, writings on papy- 
rus scrolls, and slabs of stone. We have 
already found many Bible records upon 
some of these slabs of stone and the papy- 
rus paper, and they all coincide, showing 
that their facts are correct, thereby forg- 
ing another link in the chain of proof that 
the Bible is divinely dictated and divinely 
preserved. There have been discovered 
other Bible proofs in the land of Assyria 
and Babylonia. In Nineveh, a capital of 
Assyria, is the largest library in the 
world, but it is all recorded on stone, and 
in the ancient tongues. There are, com- 
paratively speaking, a few papyrus paper 
writings. The history of nations, and the 
victories and downfall of kings, were 
written upon them, and school books of 
stone lined the walls. There were also 
story-books of various kinds in large num- 
bers, besides fairy tales for the little ones. 
Not only were these found, besides rec- 
ords of manners and customs, but there 
were quite a number of Bible accounts, 
which all fit into each other, proving their 
truth without a doubt. Then again, stands 
out the wonderful and important point, 
that these Bible records were strangely 



232 True Spirit Return 

preserved from harm and were not dis- 
covered nntil it was safe and best for 
them to be found, till the beginning of the 
present century, when they could be used. 
And now they rise up as glorious proofs 
of the divine God in all His mighty power. 
The way it happened was this: In the 
year of 607 Nineveh was destroyed, but 
unknown to anyone the palace library was 
preserved beneath a covering of sand and 
debris, so that not even the inhabitants 
of the nearest city knew of its existence. 
An army of 10,000 passed right over it 
and was not conscious of its presence, 
but finally, through investigations, the 
treasures hidden beneath were brought to 
light, and the richest of them all were the 
proof to the world of Bible truths. 

In Palestine of today we see little or 
no difference at all in the manners, cus- 
toms and mode of living to the ancients 
of the past, and affords us a good idea of 
the way that they lived in the days of 
Christ and the apostles, which, when com- 
pared to the Bible, is a perfect counter- 
part of the Scriptures. Another proof 
that the Holy Bible is something more 
than a myth. 



True Spirit Return 233 

Then there is the skeptic who does not 
believe in a God or a Bible either, for, of 
course, if he denies the former he would 
consequently discountenance the latter. 
A non-belief in both is a more deplorable 
condition than to believe only in the ex- 
istence of God, and not in the Bible; for 
without these two powers we have no 
foundation whereupon to rest or base the 
slightest theory, whether scientific, his- 
toric or religious. But strange to stay 
we quite frequently find this class of 
skepticism among the most intelligent and 
prominent men in the world — more is the 
shame. But not saying that the highest 
type of Christianity and nobility do not 
exist where there is belief in God and 
the Bible among that class of men known 
as scientists and physicians; but the lead- 
ing number of skeptics who deny the al- 
mighty power and His word are found in 
these two classes. This kind of doubt is 
sometimes found among a more ignorant 
set of people, but there is more excuse 
for it, and no reason for such views of 
darkness when all around is the light of 
the gospel. But you will notice that 
within the last few years, since Spiritual- 



234 True Spirit Return 

ism has been gaining better control of the 
world, this form of skepticism, or infidel- 
ity, as it should be termed, is fast melting 
away under the warm snnny influence of 
its guardian angels of the spirit realm. 
Especially among that class of scientists 
and doctors which I have just made men- 
tion of, we find a great change. Many 
who formerly doubted the truth of God, 
the Bible and the immortality of the soul, 
have come to realize the glorious truths 
of Spiritualism, through the guidance of 
spirit friends and loved ones. 

The world is very wicked at the present 
time, even more so than in the previous 
century, but this is due to certain warring 
influences led by satan and his imps, 
plagues, famines, and various disasters, 
but this is according to prophecy, and is 
the forerunner of the golden millennium. 
But if we could only give our spirit 
friends a better opportunity, more recog- 
nition and cooperation, we would find 
that they could fight the evil forces, name- 
ly, the devil and his demons, with greater 
skill and efficiency, and we would see the 
results in a better world. If we wouldn't 
make the horrible mistake of mixing evil 



True Spirit Return 235 

spirits with good spirits of our departed 
ones, we would not feel the influence or 
receive the harm of wicked imps half so 
much if we would permit our dear ones of 
the spiritual kingdom to aid us in com- 
bating with these demonlike forces. For 
that is what, with all due respect, Judge 
J. F. Eutherford has done, and to use his 
own expression, "they won't mix any 
more than oil and water," for I wish to 
say to him, as I said before, evil and good 
spirits are as far apart as east and west, 
and should not be confused with each 
other. 

But let me return to my subject of 
skeptics who neither believe in Grod nor 
the Bible. I sometimes think that they 
are a bigoted, conceited set of block-heads, 
who don't believe half what they pro- 
claim, but want to be smart, and different 
from anyone else. I have many instances 
in mind where noted infidels have, all 
through their lives, denied the existence 
of a God, and boasted of it to the world, 
but when it comes to the final, and the 
death angel, grim, black and gaunt, comes 
to claim its own, terror seizes upon the 
victim, and he calls for help to the Su- 



236 True Spirit Return 

preme Being, whom, down deep in his 
heart, he knew existed all the time. 

There is one who rises np before me at 
the present moment. He was gifted with 
an eloquent tongue and pen, and could 
have swayed the world for an immense 
amount of good, but instead he preferred 
to wield a wicked influence by declaring 
in writings and speech his non-belief in 
God and the Bible. Through his wicked, 
ungodly influence many both old and 
young, were driven from the churches, 
and turned into mocking, scoffing infidels. 
He had read the Bible many times from 
beginning to end, and there was scarcely 
a clergyman who had its precious words 
at their fingertips as did this man, and 
yet he proclaimed to the world that he 
did not believe in this Book or the divine 
hand that wrote it. And with his brilliant 
mind, he would twist and contort these 
phrases and verses of the Holy Scrip- 
tures, telling in his own eloquent lan- 
guage why he did not believe in its 
contents. He brought these arguments 
before the public with such distinct and 
convincing conclusions that those who 
were foolish enough to pause and listen, 



True Spirit Return 237 

and finally to hearken, were like the moth, 
drawn and duped into the bright de- 
structive blaze of this man's belief. He 
had followers, this man did, but for every 
soul that he drew down to perdition, he is 
now paying the price. Like so many other 
skeptics of his kind, he prided himself on 
his morality, but this we can take with a 
grain of salt. What morality he did pos- 
sess he borrowed from the Bible, the book 
he scoffed at, and professed not to be- 
lieve, otherwise he wouldn't have had that 
much to boast of. For, in his self-conceit 
and all-importance, he wanted to appear 
before the public as self-sufficient, fearing 
or believing neither God, the Bible or the 
devil. But when this well-known infidel, 
Ingersol, came to die, to meet his Maker 
face to face, he changed his views. He 
acknowledged Him yes ; but not by calling 
upon him for help, or admitting His divine 
power, for the .spirit of Bob Ingersol was 
proud and haughty even unto death. This 
infidel acknowledged the existence of God 
by cursing Him. Yes; with every dying 
breath Ingersol cursed God to the last, 
for he knew that he had lied to the world, 
and had been a bitter enemy to the al- 



238 True Spirit Return 

mighty power, and that there awaited 
him a warm reception in the regions be- 
low. Showing that there is a God who 
rights matters and who does not forget, 
for it is a known fact that Bob Ingersol's 
death brought abont more converts to the 
right way of thinking, and closer to the 
Maker and His divine words than he had 
done harm during his lifetime. This 
proves the almighty power of God; and 
let us not forget that, no matter what 
subject we handle, whether skeptics or 
otherwise, in this book or out of it, we 
never forget that we are under the con- 
trol and the guidance of the Supreme One, 
and we never lose sight of our Creator as 
our Guiding Star. 

There is another noted infidel who 
comes plainly before my mind. His name 
was Voltaire. Like Ingersol, he never lost 
an opportunity to air his opinion to the 
world, and to convert every one he met 
into thinking that there was no such thing 
as God, and that the Bible was a mere 
fictitious history written by man, and had 
no truth in it. 

Like Ingersol, he prided himself on his 
morality. His brilliant speech won many 



True Spirit Return 239 

over to his seeming way of thinking. On 
one occasion, when he was aboard one of 
the ocean steamers, he as nsnal was de- 
claring his non-belief in the existence of 
God. A great number of the passengers 
were being contaminated by his words, 
and had already turned their backs on the 
teachings of Christianity, and were willing 
to deny their Maker. But in the midst of 
his infamous speech an angry God was 
growing angrier. The billowy waves that 
lashed the sides of the ship were climbing 
higher; the sky was growing black and 
the sea was getting wild and restless. A 
storm was brewing in the air. Finally it 
broke in all its fury. The ship was hurled 
from side to side by the mighty waves, 
and was tossed by the tempest like a frail 
piece of bark. The billows rolled high, 
and the storm raged. The passengers, 
terror-stricken, were huddled together, and 
Voltaire, who, but a few moments before 
had denied the existence of God, was the 
first one to drop on his knees and pray, 
"Oh, God, spare us." But the almighty 
One was already angry with this infamous 
infidel, and considering that his glory had 
lasted long enough, and knowing that his 



240 True Spirit Return 

prayer was the result of fear rather than 
love, and fully aware that if he saved him 
he would only deny Him again, was de- 
termined to show this man and his fol- 
lowers that there was a God who realized 
and saw all. So a strange thing happened. 
All were saved but Voltaire, the infidel. 
They were putting out the life boats, and 
there was room for everyone, but when 
the captain attempted to assist Voltaire 
into one of the boats an angry, seething 
wave like the angry hand of God, caught 
his body, and whirling it around in fury 
carried it out on the mad torrents of the 
stormy sea, and it was lost forever in her 
foamy depth. Those who saw never for- 
got, and his death was the turning point 
in their lives and most of the lives he 
had converted into infidelity. Never again 
did those who had been with the infidel, 
and listened to the blasphemous words 
of this man against the Creator, and then 
call on Him for help, thus contradicting 
his own statements — never again did they 
deny the existence and power of an al- 
mighty God, especially when this infamous 
creature was the only one lost on the ship, 
as though the hand of God was in it. 



True Spirit Return 241 

There was still another that I well re- 
member who brought about more converts 
to true Christianity by his death than he 
had ever done against it during his whole 
life. 

He was an infidel of the deepest dye, 
believing in neither God, the Holy Bible, 
nor anything connected with it. He also 
claimed that he led a much more moral 
life than those who believed in all that 
rot, to use his own vile expression. Not 
content with lecturing in the halls and 
auditoriums, he would stand on street 
corners, and frequently he would be 
mounted on a box, proclaiming to the 
world at. large and all that could get 
within range of his voice, that he did not 
believe in the existence of God or the 
truths of His book. He gave reasons, and 
pointed out the fact that those who did 
not, to use his own expression, waste their 
time on such rot, lived much better lives 
and were far more generous-hearted and 
moral, than believers. Note the stress 
that these noted, as well as other infidels, 
make on their morality. It is without a 
doubt the devil's trump card that his 
satanic majesty hands to these deniers 



242 True Spirit Return 

of a Supreme Being, to deal out to the 
people, for lie knows that this card is at- 
tractive, will take, will win, in the devil's 
cause against Christ, the kingdom above, 
and the almighty power over all, the Su- 
preme One — God. He uses these infidels 
for his own purpose and glorification. He 
handles them like a toy, and when he is 
done with them he casts them aside and 
breaks their flimsy souls, nor cares that 
they pay a heavy price. Yes, these boast- 
ers that claim not to fear or believe in 
God, man or the devil, are instruments of 
the latter, whose existence they deny, and 
enemies to mankind, and to the Creator, 
making themselves subject to severe pun- 
ishment from His hands. 

Who says that God does not exist! 
Who says that God is dead or asleep? 

To continue my account of this fellow 
who made stump speeches against God. 
He drew the crowds. At first they came 
from mere idle curiosity. But his argu- 
ment was strong and convincing, and he 
spoke with force and eloquence. First, 
they paused, then tarried a while, and then 
stayed. He spun and wove his net with 
the greatest ease. He threw this maze of 



True Spirit Return 243 

deception out over the people, and they 
were ensnared by its dangerous and 
treacherous folds. The elect of the town, 
were there, both old and young. At first, 
understand, they only came from curios- 
ity, but they became fascinated, and be- 
fore they were half aware of it they were 
entrapped and slaves to this pretended 
belief. Which goes to show that it is 
dangerous to play with fire, or to listen 
for a moment to anything spoken against 
the Supreme God or His Holy Book. He 
became bolder and more fearless in his 
argument, until finally he announced that 
he could prove that there was no God, and 
that the crowd gathered around could go 
by this proof. Then, in mocking tones, 
he lifted his voice and raised his eyes and 
arms to the sky and said, "If there be a 
God, show His power and strike me dead. ' ' 
Just that quick, right on the instant, no 
sooner had the words left his mouth than 
the man fell over dead. God had once 
more shown His wrath and almighty 
power, and that He was not to be trifled 
with. He used a very small instrument 
wherewith to kill this man, but He used 
it quickly, that the people might know 



244 True Spirit Return 

that He was God, and that there was a 
higher power. It was only a tiny wasp, 
but it did its work for the Lord, for He 
caused this small insect to sting this 
daring and wicked man on his temple, 
the most vital part of one's head, and 
cause instant death. It is needless to say 
that all present recognized in this strange 
occurrence the hand of God. This sinner 
had made his wager with God and lost. 
He had not one follower out of the thou- 
sands he had won to boost his name or 
say a kind word about him when he was 
dead. He was spoken of with contempt, 
and his life and death pointed to as a 
warning to all. 

There are other kinds of skeptics who, 
as I mentioned before, believe in God, 
part of the Bible — the Old Testament for 
instance — but while they recognize a 
Christ they will not admit that He had 
already come upon this earth, lived and 
suffered as mortal man, was finally cruci- 
fied, and on the third day after burial 
rose from the dead. Many of these that 
seem to think this know differently, but 
for reasons of their own prefer to hide it, 
but there are others who have been taught 



True Spirit Return 245 

wrong from generation to generation, for 
we have proofs of it in the Scriptures. 
St. Matthew xxviii, 11, 12, 13, 15. 

But I have already proven that Christ 
lived on earth, and suffered Himself to be 
crucified and rose again on the third day. 
And I have shown by the Scriptures that 
our Savior shed His blood as a ransom 
for many, that the world might be re- 
deemed. 

There are those who believe in God, 
His Son, as Christ, the Redeemer, and 
the Bible, but they claim not to believe in 
the existence of a devil. But I have, in 
my subject on the power of satan and his 
imps, proven that he is very much in ex- 
istence, a very real and personal devil, 
dangerous to deal with, cunning, deceitful, 
treacherous and insidious to the limit. 
He and his evil spirits ofttimes personate 
our loved ones, friends and relatives of 
the spirit world, causing us much trouble, 
and prejudicing the minds of many 
against Spiritualism. I repeat, that the 
best way to help drive them from our 
homes is to keep in close touch with the 
spirits of our own dear ones, and then 



246 True Spirit Return 

we can better keep the evil forces out of 
our lives. 

There are others who claim not to be- 
lieve in hell or future punishment, but I 
have shown, in the last-named subject, 
that there is with certainty such a place. 
Don't deceive yourself into thinking 
otherwise. 

Then again, there are those who pre- 
tend not to believe in a heaven or hell, 
but acknowledge God and the truth of the 
Bible. 

I call it pretense, for I cannot see how 
they can read the Holy Book intelligently 
and have such beliefs and non-beliefs. 

There is such a variety of skepticism 
that it would take too much time to go 
over them at present. 

But of course we must take into con- 
sideration that the Bible is written in 
figurative and symbolic speech through- 
out many of its pages, which account for 
a few slight variants of opinion, which is 
of small consequence. But when it comes 
to questions of vital importance, that is 
different. There is no excuse for anyone 
who lives in this enlightened time, and 
has full access to the Holy Book, to deny 



True Spirit Return 247 

the existence of God, the truths of the 
Bible, Jesus Christ as our Bedeemer, 
heaven or hell, or the prince of demons 
and his wicked imps; nor yet should we 
deny the immortality of the soul. This 
brings me back to the first part of my 
subject on skepticism. 

I refer to Judge Butherford when I 
speak of non-belief in the immortality of 
the soul. How he can reconcile the non- 
immortality of the soul with the resurrec- 
tion of Christ from the tomb, or the resur- 
rection of mankind, which is the strongest 
proof of spirit return, or Spiritualism, T 
cannot understand. 

Eesurrection means the rising again 
from the dead, a springing into new life, 
which is the true meaning, as given us by 
Winston's dictionary, which would be im- 
possible if the soul were not immortal. 
If the soul, to quote the exact words of 
the noted biblicist, were as he pictures it 
to be (and he claims to get his theory 
from Genesis ii, 7) — And the Lord God 
formed man of the dust of the ground, 
and breathed into his nostrils the breath 
of life; and man became a living soul." 
As I said before to quote the exact words 



248 True Spirit Return 

from a paragraph by Judge J. F. Buther- 
ford on "What is the Soul?" 

It is true that Catholic and Protestant 
clergymen for centuries have taught the 
people that the soul is the divine part of 
man, which cannot die, and that therefore 
there is no death of the soul. This is not 
supported, however, by the Scriptures, 
which read: The Lord God formed man 
of the dust of the ground, and breathed 
into his nostrils the breath of life; and, 
man became a living soul. Genesis ii, 7. 

The word soul means a moving, breath- 
ing, sentient being; i. e., a living creature 
that possesses the sense of sight, hearing, 
touch, taste, smell. It will be conceded 
that the dust out of which Jehovah formed 
the body was not immortal, nor did it 
have intelligence. It must be further con- 
ceded that the breath of life which God 
breathed into the nostrils of that body did 
not constitute the soul; but that the body 
perfectly formed, and the breath which 
Jehovah then placed in its organism to- 
gether formed a living, moving, sentient 
being, which we call a soul. Every crea- 
ture that breathes is a soul; no creature 
possesses a soul. 



True Spirit Return 249 

Note that our friend declares that no 
creature possesses a soul. Then what 
becomes of the soul when the body goes 
to dust, as we all know occurs when what 
is known as death strikes us, and we are 
laid away beneath the sod? The soul, 
according to the picture that Eutherford 
has made of it, would go to dust also if 
the soul and body were one instead of two 
distinct parts, the outer man, shell or 
body, which dies, crumbles, goes to dust, 
suffering the death that the Divine Cre- 
ator inflicted upon our foreparents for 
their disobedience, and the inner part, 
which is the soul within the soul, the part 
that never dies. He further attempts to 
prove that the soul is not immortal by 
saying, that the first man was earthly of 
the earth, for which, of course, we have 
the Scriptures to refer to as to the truth- 
fulness of this statement, but then again, 
we find that: 

So God created man in his own image, 
in the image of God, created he him; male 
and female, created he them." 

— Genesis i, 27. 

If we wish to take the Bible as our 



250 True Spirit Return 

arbiter, then we have proof here that even 
thongh man was formed from the dust he 
was made in the image of God. Did not 
God have an immortal soul? And when 
the Divine One breathed life and intelli- 
gence into this piece of clay, did He not 
breathe into him an immortal soul? Do 
yon think that He wonld have forgotten 
this most important factor of all! Is 
there any place in the Bible that teaches 
that the sonl is not immortal! No, the 
further on yon read, and the deeper yon 
wade, the stronger rise np the proofs that 
the sonl is immortal, imperishable, ever- 
living, never-dying. Furthermore, Jndge 
Rutherford admits that he believes that 
the Divine plans of redemption throngh 
Christ extended back to the first creation 
of earth and man, and we have every evi- 
dence of this in the 15th verse, 3d chapter 
of Genesis, as follows: And I will put 
enmity between thee and the woman, and 
between thy seed and her seed; it shall 
bruise thy head, and thou shall bruise 
his heel. This is a prophecy given to onr 
first foreparents when they committed 
their first sin that the Savior wonld some 
day come on earth, and shed His blood as 



True Spirit Return 251 

a ransom for all. The seed of the woman 
means Christ, and the head that shall be 
bruised by the heel of the seed of the 
woman means the serpent, or satan, and 
indicates that through the redemption of 
Christ satan is overcome and the whole 
world is saved. 

And God dressed Adam and Eve in the 
skins of animals, and the question has 
been asked, "what did they do with the 
bodies that were slain ?" And we have 
the proof in Genesis 4th chapter, 4th verse 
that their blood was offered up as sacri- 
fices to God in representation of the com- 
ing of Christ, which went to show that 
these first foreparents felt that the op- 
portunity and invitation of redemption 
extended back to them as well as to fu- 
ture generations. And why not, for are 
we not told in the 6th chapter of Eomans, 
23d verse, that, For the wages of sin is 
death, but the gift of God is eternal life 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. What 
could breathe stronger of the immortal 
soul and life everlasting than these last 
few words, and the fact that these sacri- 
fices of the blood of animals were made 
in recognition of the coming Savior, and 



252 True Spirit Return 

that after His crucifixion the Lord's sup- 
per was observed in remembrance of the 
blood He shed for the sins of the world. 

But let us consider woman for a short 
space of time. Having proven without a 
doubt that man is in possession of an im- 
mortal soul, it would seem unnecessary to 
say that woman has an immortal soul 
also, but the fool skeptics are not all 
dead yet, even if I did bury a few in the 
first part of this subject in skepticism, 
for I saw the announcement made in the 
paper a few nights ago, by Ambassador 
George Harvey, who said that he did not 
believe that women had souls, but he was 
under the strong impression that man 
was the only proud possessor of such an 
article. So I feel in duty bound, as I am 
a woman-soul, to contradict this absurd 
statement. We all know that Eve, our 
beloved grandmother, was made from the 
rib of our dear grandfather, for we have 
the Scriptures to prove it, for we find in 
the 2d chapter of Genesis, 21st to 24th 
verses the following: 

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep 
to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he 



True Spirit Return 253 

took one of his ribs, and closed up the 
flesh instead thereof. 

And the rib, which the Lord God had 
taken from man, made He a woman, and 
brought her unto the man. 

And Adam said, This is now bone of 
my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall 
be called Woman, because she was taken 
out of Man. 

Therefore shall a man leave his father 
and his mother, and shall cleave unto his 
wife; and they shall be one flesh. 

— Genesis ii, 21-24. 

So, if woman was made from the rib 
of a man, and we have proven that man 
has an immortal soul, then we wonld con- 
sequently conclude that woman has an 
immortal sonl also. And if the first man 
and woman that God created had im- 
mortal souls, then it stands to reason 
that the whole human race has an im- 
mortal soul. 

There is one paragraph of Judge J. F. 
Rutherford's of which I wish to quote 
the exact words, for the manner in which 
he uses the last word, immortal, followed 
by the Bible reference, 1 Corinthians xv, 



254 True Spirit Return 

47, is very misleading unless one chances 
to look up this Bible reference for him- 
self, and find that there is nothing said 
in this verse about the soul not being 
immortal. This is a mere interpretation 
of Eutherford 's, and the word, immortal, 
is his own insertion. To make myself 
clear, I will quote the exact words of 
Eutherford, and then I will give the exact 
words as we find them in the Scriptures. 
Thus we find Judge Eutherford as saying 
in his book, "Can the Living Talk with the 
Dead?" "Thus did God form the first 
man from whom the whole human race 
sprang, and we have a clear and positive 
statement in the Scriptures that the first 
man is of the earth, earthy, and not Di- 
vine, not immortal." 1 Corinthians, 15th 
chapter, 47th verse. 

This is what Eutherford has said with 
reference to his belief that the soul is not 
immortal, and cites us to proofs of this 
fact in 1st Corinthians, 15th chapter, 47th 
verse, which reads, in the Holy Book, thus : 
The first man is of the earth, earthy; 
the second man is the Lord from heaven. 
There is nothing in this verse that men- 



True Spirit Return 255 

tions the word immortal, or teaches that 
the soul is not immortal. 

It is true it speaks in Genesis of the 
first man being earthy, of the earth. What 
of that? We all know that Adam and 
Eve, as previously mentioned, were cre- 
ated from the dust of the earth, which 
consequently would make them of the 
earth, earthy, but would not deprive them 
of a soul; for we have the proof in the 
Scriptures that man was made in the 
image of God (Genesis ii, 27), and our 
Creator had an immortal soul, and it is 
not possible that our Divine Father would 
have forgotten the most important part 
of man, the immortal soul. 

By the second man is meant Christ, 
and we all know that He is of heaven, 
heavenly, which is told in the latter part 
of the verse in 1st Corinthians, 15th chap- 
ter, 47th verse, but there is nothing in 
these last-named words to indicate that 
the soul is not immortal. 

Again, Eutherford attempts to prove 
that the soul is not immortal, and that 
the well-known phrase " there is no death' ' 
is a lie, started by satan in the Garden of 



256 True Spirit Return 

Eden, and has been handed down from 
generation to generation, and believed by 
the people, and that is why so many have 
been deceived into thinking that the soul 
is immortal, imperishable, ever-living, 
never-dying; and he says that this lie 
has also been sent ont from the pulpit by 
clergymen at fnnerals, when they pro- 
claim that the soul of this body was 
hovering close to the form in the coffin. 

He draws his deduction from the fact, 
spoken of in Genesis, when our fore- 
parents first disobeyed God, and He told 
them that for this they should surely die, 
and satan had lied to them, and said, 
"you shall not surely die;" but this did 
not mean the death of the soul, but bodily 
death, for we find it in the Scriptures in 
the 3d chapter of Genesis, 17th, 19th, 
23d and 24th verses. 

And so it is that our friend Rutherford 
has drawn false conclusions from these 
last-named verses in the Scriptures, yet 
claims to use the exact words, but with all 
due deference to him as a devotee of this 
theory, I must say that the conclusion of 
the immortality of the soul is based upon 
satan's lie, and is wholly unsupported by 



True Spirit Return 257 

anything else except the lie of the adver- 
sary. 

Then again, he has far mistaken and 
misinterpreted the 28th verse of the 10th 
chapter of St. Matthew, which is accom- 
panied by these words from Rutherford, 
as follows: "If the soul be immortal, 
then G-od himself cannot destroy the soul. 
Jesus is authority for this, 'fear Him 
which is able to destroy both soul and 
body.' (Matthew x, 28.) There is not a 
single Scripture in the Bible that war- 
rants anyone in saying that the soul is 
immortal. ' ' 

This is the interpretation of this verse 
(Matthew x, 28) in the exact words of 
Rutherford himself, that there is not a 
single Scripture in the Bible that war- 
rants anyone in saying that the soul is 
immortal. The very same verse that 
Judge J. F. Rutherford takes to prove 
that the soul is not immortal, I would 
take to prove that the soul is immortal; 
but let us quote the entire verse, and then 
we can better glean the true meaning 
from it. 'Tis as follows: 

And fear not them which kill the body, 



258 True Spirit Return 

but are not able to kill the soul; but rather 
fear him which is able to destroy both 
soul and body in hell. — Matthew x, 28. 

Note that Eutherford, before making 
this partial quotation, remarks that "if 
the sonl be immortal then God himself 
cannot destroy it," and we know that God 
has power to destroy the sonl. Bnt we 
wish to remind him that the Holy Book 
says : And Jesus looking upon them 
saith, With men it is impossible, but not 
with God; for with God all things are 
possible. (St. Mark, x, 27.) 

Let ns consider the first half of this 
verse, which is as follows : And fear not 
them which hill the body, but are not 
able to kill the soul. (Matthew x, 28.) 

Here we have a proof that man is com- 
posed of two distinct parts — a body and a 
sonl, and it is natural to suppose that 
while there is life and breath in man that 
the soul would dwell within the body, and 
not be hanging around on the outskirts, 
or absorbed into the body, so that the 
soul and body would be one, as Judge 
Eutherford would have it, for he has said 



True Spirit Return 259 

"every creature that breathes is a soul. 
No creature possesses a soul.'' 

Let us now consider the latter part of 
this verse, which says, But rather fear 
him, which is able to destroy both soul and 
body in hell. (Matthew x, 28.) 

These words are even a stronger proof 
that man is two distinct parts, for note 
the expression, "both body and soul." 
But we should not ignore the last two 
words, "in hell," which mean, taking the 
verse as a whole, that Christ was giving 
to His disciples of the present, as well as 
the past, both a caution and warning 
against fear of man when preaching the 
gospel truths, for they could only de- 
stroy the body, but rather fear God, who 
is able to destroy both body and soul in 
hell, the last phrase meaning the future 
place of punishment for sinners who dis- 
obey God's laws and commandments, and 
do not believe in Christ as a Eedeemer, 
which place we see so often referred to 
throughout the Bible. This place of fu- 
ture punishment, or hell, as it is termed 
in the Scriptures, would be everlasting, 
and is ofttimes likened unto death, but 



260 True Spirit Return 

Christ has paid the ransom and saved ns 
from this eternal punishment, for again I 
repeat these beautiful words: 

For God so loved the world, that he 
gave his only begotten Son, that whoso- 
ever believeth in him should not perish, 
but have everlasting life. 

For God sent not his Son unto the 
world to condemn the world; but that the 
world through him might be saved. 

St. John iii, 16, 17. 

And the curse of death, that Judge 
Eutherford refers to, has been removed; 
and I think, taking the Bible for refer- 
ence, that we can truthfully say there is 
no death, the soul is immortal, imperish- 
able, ever-living, never-dying, for we find 
these hopeful words in the Holy Book: 

But now being made free from sin, and 
become servants to God, ye have your 
fruit unto holiness, and the end everlast- 
ing life. 

For the wages of sin is death; but the 
gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord. — Romans vi, 22, 23. 

And Judge J. F. Rutherford has said, 



True Spirit Return 261 

"let the Bible be the final arbiter upon 
this question.' ' 

I agree with him on this decision, and 
would add that the Bible should decide all 
questions, but according to the Scriptures, 
as quoted by Judge Eutherford himself, 
the argument for non-immortality of the 
soul must fall, for he has failed to bring 
forth any proof from the Holy Book to 
support his argument. 

And as he has admitted that Spiritual- 
ism depends on the immortality of the 
soul, then his arguments against Spirit- 
ualism must fall with it, for here are his 
exact words (as found on page 51, in his 
book, "Can the Living Talk with the 
Dead"): "I most emphatically agree 
with you, Mr. Psychic, that, according to 
the testimony of all these witnesses, the 
ability of the living to communicate with 
the dead depends upon the one important 
question, 'Is the soul of man immortal! ' 
In other phrase, your argument must 
stand or fall upon the truthfulness or 
falsity of the theory of the immortality of 
the soul. If it is true that every man has 
inherent immortality, then there is a basis 
for your argument, but if that contention 



262 True Spirit Return 

is false then there is no basis for your 
argument and your argument must fail. 
It is of first importance then, that we de- 
termine what the soul is, and determine 
whether it is mortal or immortal. Let 
the Bible be the final arbiter upon this 
question. ' ' 

So these are his words upon the ques- 
tion, and as we have already proven and 
decided what the soul is, and have per- 
mitted the Bible to be the final arbiter 
that the soul is immortal, let the golden 
light of Spiritualism flood the darkened 
hearts of the people that they may read 
the Word of God with understanding. 

Judge J. F. Eutherford is greatly mis- 
taken when he announces that the doc- 
trines of Spiritualism belittle the sacrifice 
and redemption of our Savior upon the 
Cross. He even goes so far as to say that 
the truths of Spiritualism deny the atone- 
ment of Christ, but I wish to say that if 
there is any denial in any way of Jesus 
Christ, our Savior, I wish they would 
read this little book through, and they 
would find out how cruelly they have mis- 
judged the golden teachings of the heav- 
enly spirits. 



True Spirit Return 263 

Especially would I have them read, 
"Jesus Christ as a Gift from God," which 
is one of my subjects in this little book, 
and should go to show that this great gift 
of love from God is not lost to me or 
others believing as I do. And I wish to 
say also, that he has entirely mistaken 
Sir Conan Doyle's interpretation of the 
death and sacrifice of Christ. I feel that 
I must correct the erroneous idea that 
Judge J. F. Eutherford has formed con- 
cerning the statement that Sir Arthur 
Conan Doyle has made about the Savior's 
death and life. I am sure that Sir Arthur 
did not intend to make light or belittle the 
sacrifice of our Savior upon the Cross, or 
to ignore the great ransom price that the 
Son of God has paid with His precious 
blood. I feel quite sure that Sir Conan 
Doyle simply means that while the death 
and sacrifice of Christ was great, so also 
was His life, which he describes as noble 
and beautiful. In other words, he was 
not belittling the death of Christ, but was 
enlarging upon His wonderful life, as an 
example to mankind. Then, again, Judge 
Eutherford has criticised Sir Conan Doyle 
with reference to his remark concerning 



264 True Spirit Return 

the churches, which I feel in duty bound 
to say was not meant in the way in which 
Judge Eutherford has interpreted it. 
Does the Judge forget that he made the 
same remark in different language? Yes, 
we all know that the churches will fall 
if there is not a change in them from the 
wickedness, the worldliness which is creep- 
ing into them, and the harmful influence 
of satan and his evil spirits. But I do 
not believe that the Lord intends this to 
happen, for from time immemorial, and 
ages past, the temple of God has been as 
a recognition of Him, and if we would 
permit the purer and higher influence of 
the spirits from the heavenly sphere to 
sweep through them, we would find that 
the old time religion of Christ, and His 
redemption, and the truths of the Holy 
Book, and the love, as well as wrath of 
God, would be taught and remembered. 
But instead, we drive away our best 
friends who would help us to combat these 
evil forces that are in the churches, and 
in the homes, and stirring up trouble and 
war between nations and countries. But 
when these loved ones of ours, from the 
spirit realm, fain would help us, we fre- 



True Spirit Return 265 

quently turn our backs upon them, failing 
to recognize their presence, and give them, 
not only the cold shoulder, but act, in 
word and deed, as though we were 
ashamed of our own dear ones from the 
world beyond, and then wonder why these 
spirit friends do not accomplish more. 

Then again, we permit ourselves to be- 
come prejudiced and skeptical because we 
meet with prejudice and skepticism in 
writings and speech from those who have 
dipped deep enough into Spiritualism 
only to be led away on to the false side 
by the cunning brains of his satanic ma- 
jesty, who would have the world believe 
that all of the spiritual forces are evil, 
thus limiting the powerful influence for 
good of our heavenly spirits, thereby al- 
lowing ourselves to be drawn in by his 
deceitful lies. 

Yes, I thoroughly agree with Judge 
Eutherford in his proclamation that the 
devil is a liar, and the father of lies, and 
is still using deceitful and cunning meth- 
ods to lead the world away from the foot 
of our Savior's Cross. Not only that, but 
I will agree with him on the fact that the 
devil and his imps are impish enough to 



266 True Spirit Return 

pose, and pass themselves as our dear be- 
loved ones of the spiritual realms of 
heaven. This is done to misguide and to 
throttle Spiritualism, for the devil well 
knows that its doctrines would be fatal to 
his diabolical plans, and would lessen the 
number of earthly prisoners in his dire 
abode. 

As I said before, we should not mix the 
two forces, for they will not mix any more 
than oil and water, and are as far apart 
as the poles. 

I see that another one of our friends 
besides Judge J. F. Rutherford, Billy 
Sunday, has been beguiled by the deceit- 
ful and cunning voice of satan to think 
and proclaim that Spiritualism is the 
work of the devil; and so it pleases his 
satanic majesty that they should think 
thus, and by confusing the two forces 
hold to the evil one, and by the silent com- 
mand of this artful schemer, turn away 
the good forces from the higher powers 
above. But the two forces have always 
existed for ages past, since the first crea- 
tion of man, and we have examples of 
them all through the Bible, and they were 
constantly waging war with each other 



True Spirit Return 267 

then, as they are doing at the present 
time. 

Perhaps yon remember, that thousands 
of years back, in the days of Moses, when 
this remarkable prophet and his brother 
Aaron performed their wonderful mir- 
acles before King Pharaoh, he would al- 
ways call in his magicians, or witches, 
and they would perform like miracles with 
their enchantments; but theirs was the 
powers from the evil forces, or satan, 
while that of the prophets was the power 
of God. But should we discountenance 
the good powers, because the evil forces 
were running close or parallel with them? 
Note that, as is usual, the good powers of 
the prophets came out ahead of the evil 
powers of the witches, or magicians, for 
the latter 's snakes were eaten up by 
Aaron's one big snake; and the sorcerers 
were stumped on the plague of lice, and 
they were compelled to admit that the 
power of the prophets came from God. 
Just so will the stronger powers of the 
good spirits of today come out ahead of 
the weaker forces of the evil spirits, caus- 
ing Spiritualism and its wonderful doc- 
trines to come out victorious if we but 



268 True Spirit Return 

open our doors and hearts to them, and 
give them the opportunity that they are 
oftwhile seeking. 

We see the contending forces running 
close to each other in the time of the 
prophets, after the Israelites had reached 
the promised land, that existed between 
the angels from heaven and the evil pow- 
ers of satan and his imps. Especially are 
we reminded of this when we call to mind 
the beautiful picture of the angels from 
heaven contending against the evil influ- 
ence of the devil, who had persuaded King 
Herod to kill the Christ baby, but the 
angel was sent by God from heaven to 
warn Joseph in a dream. "Flee into 
Egypt,' ' was commanded, "with the child 
and its mother," and they fled in the dead 
of the night, and the Christ baby was saved 
from the cruel edge of the king's sword 
through the warning voice of the angel. 
Just so today, we ofttimes get warnings 
of danger. Should we turn a deaf ear? 
Might it not by chance be angel voices 
from heaven, perchance, the angel voice 
of our loved one? 

And there are times in life when two 
roads meet, and we know not which one 



True Spirit Return 269 

to take. Shall we fail to hearken to the 
persuasive silent voice that whispers 
"take this one to the right." Might not 
these silent voices "be the voices from 
heaven? May they not be onr guardian 
angels from the spirit world above, who 
would save us a world of suffering and 
sorrow had we only hearkened unto their 
voices ? 

These are not the voices, nor have they 
anything in part with the ones that Judge 
Eutherford has warned us about, nor 
should they be counted as such. 

Note the various Bible references con- 
cerning cautions against witches, evil 
spirits and mediums controlled by the 
wicked forces that the judge cites us to, 
as a proof that the Holy Book is against 
the doctrines of Spiritualism. 

Judge J. F. Eutherford is truly correct 
that the Holy Book is full of warnings 
against witches, magicians, and all evil 
forces, and I heartily agree with him that 
we cannot be any too careful in avoiding 
these evil influences of satan and his 
demon forces, nor can we put up too 
strong a fight against them; and let me 
add that I know of no better way than 



270 True Spirit Return 

with the help of God, His Son Christ 
Jesus, and the Holy Ghost, with not only 
the aid of the angel forces from heaven, 
hut the angel spirits of onr loved ones. 

And shonld these two forces that I have 
just mentioned, the good and the bad, be 
engaged in deadly, silent combat, and the 
good should come out victorious, we would 
find that the grand and noble doctrines of 
Spiritualism would gain control over the 
homes, churches and nations, and there 
would be less of suffering, moaning, and 
bitter crying in this world. 

Looking at both sides of this question, 
it is fatally wrong to consider one alone 
when they both exist, for if we recognize 
the good and not the evil, we permit the 
latter an opportunity to take advantage 
of us, and when we take into account only 
the evil forces we are limiting the power 
of the good forces and driving them away 
from us. With all due respect to Judge 
Eutherford and Billy Sunday, this is what 
they have done, or so fatally confused 
the good with the evil that the good has 
been lost to them, thus causing them to 
form wrong opinions and conclusions. 
There is the story of King Saul, that the 



True Spirit Return 271 

judge has mistakenly given us, as a strong 
proof against Spiritualism. As the nar- 
rative went, King Saul was greatly 
troubled in his heart, so he adjourns to 
the witches' cave for advice. He dis- 
guised himself, for he did not wish it 
known that the king was consulting 
witches, nor did he wish to be seen going 
to her cave. Besides, there was a law in 
the country at that time against all medi- 
ums, witches, and magicians that foretold 
future events or used enchantments of 
any kind, and the king was supposed to 
hunt them up and have them killed. 

When the witch of Endor saw King- 
Saul, although he was so completely dis- 
guised that no one could recognize him — 
the moment she set her sharp bead-like 
eyes upon the king she knew him and be- 
came frightened, for she suspected that 
he had come to have her killed. "Why 
have you deceived me like this! ,, she 
asked, "have you come to have me mur- 
dered as you did the other wizards! " 
"Be not afraid," the king replied; "if 
you will answer me what I wish to know 
I will not harm you or let your where- 
abouts be known." "With whom would 



272 True Spirit Return 

you wish to speak ?" questioned the witch 
of Endor. "With Samuel, the prophet," 
answered the king. The witch called 
Samuel, who had been dead for some time, 
in a loud voice, and immediately there 
arose before them a little old man, with a 
mantle across his shoulders, and whom 
the king recognized as Samuel the prophet. 

When King Saul saw who stood before 
them he fell down and worshiped him. 
"What is it you would have, and why 
have you come to disturb me?" asked 
Samuel. "I am sorely troubled," an- 
swered the king, "for tomorrow we go in 
battle with the Philistines; and tell me, if 
you please, that all will be well with my 
three sons and myself. I," continued the 
king, "have prayed to God, but He has 
hearkened not, nor heard my voice, neither 
have I been answered in my dreams at 
night. ' ' 

"It is because of your wicked disobedi- 
ence that God does not hear you," replied 
the prophet Samuel, "and tomorrow you 
and your three sons will be with me, and 
your people, the Israelites, will fall into 
the hands of the Philistines, not only this 



True Spirit Return 273 

but your neighbor, David, will become 
king. ' ' 

King Sanl was so overcome with grief 
and fright that he fell to the ground, and 
was like one who was in a dead faint. 
His servants who had come with Saul 
picked him up and placed him upon a 
couch, and the witch of Endor offered him 
food, but the king was so troubled that 
he refused to eat. "You must take some 
food," she said, "to strengthen your body, 
that it may sustain its weight home." 
But the king refused to eat. Then the 
witch of Endor went out and killed a 
fatted calf, and kneaded up some bread, 
and cooked them for King Saul and his 
servants. "Eat, my Lord," she said, 
"thou and thy servants, before you grow 
weak from fasting." But Saul had al- 
ready become weak from lack of food, for 
his heart had been so troubled that he 
had not eaten since yesterday, early morn. 
"Take food," the witch and his servants 
pleaded with him, until he was finally 
persuaded to eat. When King Saul and 
his men had eaten, they went out into the 
darkness of night. 

And the King's heart was troubled. 



27 A True Spirit Return 

What the dead prophet Samuel had told 
King Saul in the cave of the witch of 
Endor came but partly true, and still, in 
many ways, this strange prophecy came 
to pass. The king and his three sons 
were killed, their bodies hung upon a 
wall and then burned, but not on the 
morrow. This happend a few days later. 

The Philistines and Israelites waged a 
bloody battle. The Israelites did not fall 
into the hands of the Philistines, but there 
were so many slain by the enemy that the 
Israelites fled from the army of Philis- 
tines. The three sons of King Saul were 
killed by archers, and the king himself 
was sorely wounded, and when he saw 
that his sons were dead he begged his 
armourbearer to kill him with the sword, 
but he was afraid. Then King Saul fell 
upon his sword, and when the armour- 
bearer saw what the king had done he 
fell upon his own sword. Thus it was 
that the king, his three sons, and armour- 
bearer were all killed in one day. And 
when the Philistines found the body of 
King Saul they cut off his head and hung 
his body upon the wall. 

Now, there were certain brave men be- 



True Spirit Return 275 

longing to the king's army, who, when dis- 
covering what the enemy had done, stole 
the body by night, and burning it to pre- 
vent discovery, buried the bones. And 
they moaned for the king seven days, and 
as the dead prophet Samuel had foretold 
in the witches 's cave of Endor, David 
became king. 

This is the story of King Saul and the 
witch of Endor, and Judge Eutherford 
has pronounced it, among other Bible 
references, as proof and warning against 
the doctrines of Spiritualism. But I wish 
to say that the judge has confused matter 
again, and sadly gotten his wires crossed. 
What if the witch of Endor was influenced 
by evil spirits and King Saul did go to 
this wizard for advice? That does not 
mean that every one who is able to call 
up the dead, to prophesy certain events, 
to cast out devils, or even to heal the 
sick by the laying on of hands, are given 
the power from satan and his demons. 
But there is a higher God-given power of 
prophecy and miracles that our prophets 
possessed. They were in those days 
greatly aided by the spiritual forces of 
good angels from heaven, just as I have 



276 True Spirit Return 

every reason to know that those at the 
present time who listen are aided by the 
angel forms of onr loved ones. 

During the days of Christ, we know that 
there was a God-given power that Jesns 
and His disciples, and even a few others 
that followed in His teachings, and 
worked in His name, were able to do such 
as casting ont devils, healing the sick, and 
performing many other wonderful mir- 
acles. And we know that this gift from 
God was extended through the courtesy 
of Christ to not only His disciples of the 
past but to those of the present. So, when 
Judge J. F. Eutherford forms the opin- 
ion, and passes it on to the world, that 
all forms of healing with the laying on of 
hands, and otherwise, .are the works of the 
devil, I simply wish to announce that he 
is mistaken. Has he forgotten, does he 
not remember the promise that Christ 
made to His disciples, after the resurrec- 
tion, just before His ascension into heav- 
en? Our Savior made them this condi- 
tional promise, which includes the present 
generation, as well as those of the past. 
But these signs and wonders must be 



True Spirit Return 277 

worked in His name, and the power mnst 
be recognized as coming from God, and 
there mnst be observance of the laws of 
baptism, as Jesns Christ went throngh 
with, that His Father's wishes might be 
fulfilled, thns permitting themselves to be 
baptized in the name of the Father, the 
Son, and the Holy Ghost. How conld it 
be possible for anyone who respects these 
rnles to be working with the devil and his 
imps, especially when we keep onr spirit 
loved ones close aronnd ns to gnard and 
keep the evil ones away? For we well 
know there is no deceiving God, and if we 
conscientiously follow ont certain require- 
ments of His, and He permits certain 
promised works to be performed by ns, 
we have every reason to suppose that onr 
power comes from God and not from 
satan. 

We find this beautiful promise in the 
16th chapter of St. Mark, 17th, 18th and 
20th verses, as follows: 

And these signs shall follow them that 
believe: In my name shall they cast out 
devils, they shall speak with new tongues. 



278 True Spirit Return 

They shall take up serpents; and if they 
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt 
them; they shall lay hands on the sick, 
and they shall recover. 

And they went forth, and preached 
everywhere, the Lord working with them, 
and confirming the word with signs fol- 
lowing. Amen. 

While Jesus Christ made us these won- 
derful promises to perform these marvel- 
ous miracles, He had preserved for Him- 
self the privilege of raising the dead, from 
the dead, but He has given us an oppor- 
tunity to talk with their angel spirit forms. 

We have not a more positive proof of 
the immortality of the soul, and of spirit- 
return, than the incident which occurred 
on the mountain-top, during the trans- 
figuration of Christ, before His three dis- 
ciples, Peter, James and John, and we 
know that these spirit-forms were not 
personators of the devils' imps, for they 
were with Christ, and they were the spirit 
form of Moses and Elias, and if this 
could happen once it could happen again 
and many times over. 



True Spirit Return 279 

If two spirit forms could find their way 
to earth, thousands of others could. And 
we are taking the Bible for our final ar- 
biter, and find these important proofs in 
St. Mark, 9th chapter, 4th verse, as fol- 
lows: And there appeared unto them 
Elias, with Moses; and they were talking 
with Jesus. 

Judge J. F. Eutherford has said that 
the general condition of depravity and 
wickedness was due to the fact that satan 
and his demons were having and taking 
an extra amount of privilege at the pres- 
ent, for their time is limited, and they 
wish to do as much mischief as possible 
before the day of their imprisonment or 
destruction. He has also said that, ac- 
cording to the Scriptures, these trouble- 
some times of war, wickedness, and strife, 
is a forerunner of the millennium, or the 
second coming of Christ, and I heartily 
agree with him on his two last statements. 
But I cannot countenance his declaration 
that this wave of Spiritualism that is 
sweeping the country since the World's 
War is under the influence of satan and 
his demons. Once again, he has confused 



280 True Spirit Return 

the two forces, recognizing only the evil 
powers, and pushing the good ont of ex- 
istence, as far as his own mind and heart 
goes. 

Of conrse, we have strong evidence that 
the demon forces are hard at work, and 
have pnt off some successful stunts in 
their line, but that is no reason why we 
should dub all of the spiritual powers as 
evil. And considering the plight that the 
world is in, it is quite natural that our 
best friends, our spirit loved ones, should 
come down to help us, thus accounting 
for the wave of Spiritualism that Judge 
Eutherford referred to. For what more 
could they do for us than to come when 
we need them most? Is not a friend in 
need a friend indeed! Shall we turn them 
away with cold indifference or heartless 
and cruel denial? 

Judge J. F. Eutherford has likened 
Spiritualism to the vision that Kipling 
has made of it, which is as unfair as it is 
wrong. 

In his poem on Spiritism, he has de- 
scribed it in one of his verses as follows: 



True Spirit Return 281 

Oh, the road to Endor is the oldest road, 

And the craziest road of all! 

Straight it runs to the witch's abode, 

As it did in the days of Saul. 

And nothing has changed of the sorrow 

in store, 
For such as go down on the road to Endor. 

I wish to say right here, that the road 
to Spiritualism and the road to Endor 
are two separate and distinct roads, which 
lead in opposite directions. 

I agree that the road to Endor is a 
crazy old road and wrought with sorrow, 
but the road to Spiritualism is a straight 
road, and wrought with peace, joy and 
gladness. 

The poet has told us, concerning it, 
that the path to Spiritism, leads to "A 
land of fadeless beauty.' ' 

There's a land of fadeless beauty, 
Bright beyond the narrow sea, 
Where the rainbow lasts forever, 
And the stars eternal be. 
Homes, no human hands can fashion, 
There forever shall endure; 
Spirits free from earthly passion, 
Deathless Spirits glad and pure. 



282 True Spirit Return 

There's a land whose chilly winter 
Never spreads its frosty gloom; 
Where no deadly blight can wither 
Gardens of perennial bloom; 
'Tis a land where never sorrow 
Bids the mourner's tears to flow; 
Where no frowning dark tomorrow 
Ever dawns on hnman woe. 

This is the land of beauty and eternal 
joy that the fingers of onr spirit friends 
point ns to; and if we follow their guid- 
ance we can be sure of finding this haven 
of rest, and heaven of glorious happiness. 

I see that Judge J. F. Eutherford 
claims that the soldier boy who has been 
giving messages to his mother is an im- 
poster; namely, the devil, or one of his 
demons in disguise. For one conclusive 
reason that this young spirit belongs to 
the demon forces and not his mother's 
son, who had passed out on the battle- 
field, the Judge relates the fact that this 
soldier spirit tells of hearing that one, 
who was known as Christ, had been seen 
moving around and among the sick and 
dying soldiers, and ministering unto them, 
and the spirit son even mentioned having 



True Spirit Return 283 

caught a glimpse of the Savior, and He 
shone with a soft, glimmering light. 

Judge Eutherford has denounced the 
fact of our Savior 's being on the battle- 
field as unnatural and out of the question, 
and originating from only a lie such as 
satan and his imps could perpetrate, giv- 
ing, as a reason, that the Savior did not 
approve of wars, killing, and the battle- 
field, consequently it would be preposter- 
ous to think of finding Christ in such an 
ungodly spot as the field of war. 

We agree with the judge that our 
Savior does not approve of wars, fighting, 
and killing, but we consider Him broad- 
minded enough not to blame the soldiers 
for what they had been unwittingly drawn 
into, through a chain of circumstances not 
of their own making, and we give the 
Savior credit for going where He was 
most needed. It is typical of the Savior 
to be ministering unto the sick and dying 
soldiers on the battlefield, and to cheer 
and comfort those who were so far away 
from their homes and loved ones. So like 
His life on earth, full of deeds of kindness 
and love. As He told His disciples He 



284 True Spirit Return 

came not to be ministered unto, but to 
minister. 

I do not see anything strange or un- 
natural in the spirit soldier boy's mes- 
sage to his mother, and I have no doubt 
that when the spirit form of Christ was 
not on the battlefield with the wounded 
and dying soldiers, He was at the home of 
some loving mother, wife or sweetheart, 
giving them silent words of comfort and 
cheer. I am quite sure this accounts for 
so many brave hearts during the war. 

We have absolute proof from the Scrip- 
tures that Christ returned in spirit form 
after his resurrection and ascension into 
heaven, for the Bible tells us that Jesus 
said to His disciples just before preparing 
to leave and go to His Father's home, he 
made this sweet and comforting promise, 
which is intended for the disciples of to- 
day as well as the past, for Jesus Christ 
shows no partiality, and the proof of His 
continued presence on earth is found in 
St. Matthew, 28th chapter, 20th verse, as 
follows : Teaching them to observe all 
things whatsoever I have commanded you; 
and, lo, I am with you alway } even unto 
the end of the world. Amen. 



True Spirit Return 285 

So cheer up, wake up from your dream 
of mystified doubts and perplexities. Cast 
aside the web of gloomy thoughts that 
confuse and bewilder your brain and 
heart in trying to reconcile life eternal 
with the non-immortality of the soul. 
Turn your eyes away from such dark in- 
consistencies to Scripture teachings. Turn 
your face to the golden light, of the joy- 
ful truth, that the soul is immortal, im- 
perishable, ever-living, never-dying, and 
that through the sacrifice and redemption 
of Christ we have life eternal. 

Not only the Bible but nature teaches 
us that our souls are immortal, and that 
there is life eternal in all things. The 
flowers wither and die only to spring up 
again in a more beautiful form. Turn 
where we may the golden tidings of life 
everlasting is whispered to us, and the 
soft cooing breezes, that are wafted from 
seeming nowhere, breathe the sweet, glad 
message that there is eternal life. The 
tall, white stately lily, the crimson rose 
and the modest little violet all declare the 
same grand truth of life. The seasons, 
in all their glorious changes, speak in elo- 
quent language of a life eternal. The 



286 True Spirit Return 

murmuring brook, the constant flow of the 
river, the rushing waterfalls, and the 
never-ceasing going in and out of the 
tides, all proclaim the one joyous blessing 
of everlasting life. And when you see the 
gold and crimson splendor of a glorious 
sunset die and fade away into a pall of 
grey, you know that it will rise again in 
the east with a new robe of silver glow, 
and break into a new dawn, a new day. 
Everywhere we turn we see evidences of 
immortality and life everlasting. We 
hear it whispered in every rustling leaf, 
and the voice of nature carries it on into 
one glad song — there is no death. And 
the poet catches the sweet refrain and 
echoes the voice of nature, and sings it 
to the world. 

" There is no death; 
The stars go down, 
To shine upon 
Some fairer shore; 
And bright in heaven's 
Jeweled crown, 
They shine forever more." 

THE END. 



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